Better Tomorrow
by breathingdestiel
Summary: Written for DCBB 2014. (Dean/Cas, Jo/Charlie) AU. After discovering president Dick Roman's plan to control the mind of every citizen, Dean joins the group of people immune to Roman's vicious project who are trying to find a cure and save the world. Although the world is suffering, Dean gets closer to mysterious Castiel Novak.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Better Tomorrow  
>FandomGenre: Supernatural/AU  
>Pairing (s): DeanCastiel, background Charlie/Jo  
>Rating: R<br>Word Count: ~35, 000  
>Warnings: violence, mind control and brainwashing, genocide, mention of torture, frottage, blowjob, minor character death, deaf character, implied abuse<br>Summary:  
>Dean Winchester is 18 years old and he lost his father a year ago in a car accident, leaving him with only his mother and younger brother. His mother decides that a new town will help them deal with their grief. The people in the town seemed strange until the appearance of the blue-eyed stranger leads Dean to shocking discoveries about US president Dick Roman and his plan to control the mind of every citizen. Dean joins the group of people immune to Roman's vicious project who are trying to find a cure and save the world. Although the world is suffering, Dean gets closer to a mysterious Castiel Novak. But is it possible to find love while everything around them is crumbling down?<p>

_Fuck. Damn boxes._

For the third time that morning, Dean tripped over one of many boxes covering the floor of his new room. He let out a frustrated sigh as he looked for his jeans. He couldn't stand the mess in his room, but cleaning it up meant accepting the change and Dean's stubborn mind wasn't ready for that. He had many beautiful memories from Lawrence: playing in the park near their house, his parents by his side; taking walks with Sammy, laughing and teasing each other; his first kiss by an old oak tree behind the school. He understood, though, why his mother wanted to move: sadder, darker memories were haunting the now.

As he walked to the bathroom, Dean heard murmuring from downstairs, telling him that Sam and Mary were already up, so he took his time in the shower, trying to delay seeing his mother and brother.

A year ago, on March 6th, John Winchester died in a car accident. His father worked for the government and his job was dangerous, but Dean never thought he would actually lose him. A wave of guilt knocked him down every time he remembered the last months of John's life and their big fight. Dean tried to be strong and not show it for Sam and Mary's sake.

When he finished showering, the smell of food lured him into the kitchen.

Mary smiled when she noticed him. "Good morning, sweetheart. You hungry?"

"You know it." He grabbed the plate and kissed Mary's cheek. "How are you, mom?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. It had been a long time since he'd seen her real smile. The ache in his chest tightened. He knew she tried to be strong for them, but he saw her wiping tears away many times.

Dean wanted to comfort her, but Sam entered the room at that moment. His eyes were red and tired, and Dean wondered if he had cried.

"Hey, Sammy. Give me a moment to eat and then we can go."

The only response he got was a short nod as Sam sat down. Dean remembered the cheerful, loud kid that Sam used to be, always jumping around and talking about something. Now he stayed quiet and spent most of his time reading and studying. Sam hadn't gotten along with their father- Dean supposed because they were too much alike, stubborn and ready to argue- but Sam was devastated when John died. Dean wondered if Sam felt guilty too. They'd have to have a serious talk about it later. They had avoided the subject for too long.

After saying goodbye to Mary, they walked toward the Impala, one of the last of John's possessions they still used. Dean had refused to sell it like Mary wanted because his father always told him the Impala would be his one day. Dean dragged a hand over the hood and smiled before getting in.

Lebanon was a small city, so the ride to the school didn't last long, and most of it they spent in silence. They moved a week ago because Mary insisted they needed a change, but Dean knew that the pitying stares from coworkers and neighbors angered her. She had found a new job in a local hospital, so they had packed their stuff and come here. New beginning.

Dean parked the Impala in front of the school and Sam fled out and hurried toward the entrance. He tried to catch up with him, but lost him in a crowd of students. Sam must have figured that he wanted to talk, but he couldn't hide and run forever. Dean would corner him eventually. He sighed as he walked to his locker. Bigger worries loomed over him at that moment, like a new school in the middle of his senior year.

This school was a lot smaller than his old one, so he navigated through the halls without problems, and since they had gotten their locker numbers, schedule and books the day before, he didn't have to worry about that. He expected stares and whispers in his direction for being new, especially because it was a small town, but no one paid attention to him. No one even spoke to him, except teachers who told him where to sit and how to behave. He watched too many movies where a new kid meant attention, but he knew better now and as much as it relieved him that people didn't bother him, he would have appreciated help. He didn't know these people yet, so he didn't approach anyone either. The last thing he wanted was to step on someone's toes.

On lunch break, Dean entered the cafeteria and it surprised him how quietly people talked- in Lawrence you couldn't hear your thoughts over the shouting- and how stiff everyone looked, sitting properly in an almost identical way. It weirded him out, but he shrugged it off when he remembered the principal.

Zachariah Adler was a serious and strict man. When they'd talked to him for enrolling at the school, he'd combed through every detail in their documents and acted like an army general and not the high school principal he was. Dean had never felt more creeped out.

One of his rules probably caused the weird behavior and would explain why no one looked relaxed. Dean would have to follow it too, because he didn't want trouble.

He found an empty table in a corner of the room with only one scrawny boy sitting there, engrossed in a thick book. As he sat he greeted the boy who either didn't notice him or ignored him.

Dean cleared his throat. "Hey, you don't mind me sitting here, right? I'm Dean."

"You can sit wherever you want. This is a free country." The boy spoke and when he finally looked at Dean, he added, "I'm Garth. Welcome to Lebanon."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. So what are you reading?"

"A biology book. I wanna be a dentist."

Dean's eyebrows shot up, but Garth looked so proud he decided not to comment on his career choice.

Garth asked him about his experience so far and Dean gave him a vague answer, not wanting to complain. They ate and talked until slowly their conversation turned into comfortable silence which filled the rest of the lunch break.

Meeting Garth sparked hope in Dean about the new school. Maybe it wouldn't be bad and he would actually enjoy the last three months of his high school life.

The rest of the day passed quickly. He listened in classes and it didn't take him long to adjust to the new teachers.

He waited for Sam by the Impala as his brother walked out of the building, chatting up a dark-haired girl. He seemed more animated than in the morning and Dean was glad to see him in a better mood.

"Hey, Sammy. New friend?" He asked when Sam finally joined him.

"Yeah. Her name is Sarah and she's a freshman like me. She helped me get around."

They got into the car and Dean started to drive. For a few minutes they remained silent, but after a while Sam spoke, "Have _you_ met anyone today?"

"Mhm. Garth. Dude wants to be a dentist which is weird, but he's okay."

Sam chuckled and Dean's eyes flicked toward him. He hadn't heard that sound in a while.

"Are you hungry? Mom said we should order pizza."

"Not really," Sam said and turned his head towards the window, finishing their chat.

They entered the house where darkness and silence greeted them. Sam immediately ran to his room. And it was said Dean avoided talking about feelings. Still, Dean knew better than pressure him- when he was ready, Sam would come to him and Dean would listen to him and do his best to comfort him.

After ordering pizza, he texted Mary and asked her when she would be coming home. He knew she probably spent the whole day dealing with the few documents about their move they didn't already have. Something about garbage control and furniture validity. The new government had strict rules about documentation. A move to another city required at least ten documents approving it, and a move across state needed ten more.

It all started when Richard Roman had become president in November a little over a year ago. At first, Dean had thought he was funny and cool, because he insisted that people call him Dick and he was always cracking jokes, but after a while he became creepy. Whenever he was on TV he looked directly at the camera and talked with a flat voice. Besides, since he'd become president other politicians had changed. The government listened only to Roman and they approved every law he introduced.

Dean didn't understand why it was necessary to dictate how much garbage a week one household could make or why they needed approval for their furniture, car or every redecoration they made in their home, but no one was complaining or even talking about it, so he tried not to be bothered.

Dean rubbed his eyes and frowned at his phone. It looked like Mary wouldn't return any time soon. When the pizza came, he took it in the living room and turned on the TV. He called Sam, but his brother ignored him so he saved some pizza for him. He ate while the low sound from the TV kept him company.

He must have fallen asleep soon after, because the next thing he knew was Mary shaking him awake.

"Mom, hey," he said, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Go to bed, sweetie. It's been a hard day for all of us."

"Yeah. Sam ran away from me when I wanted to talk with him."

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of Sam," Mary said fondly.

"And who will take care of you?"

Mary looked surprised, but then her eyes softened and she gently patted his cheek, "We take care of each other. We are strongest together."

Dean nodded and went to his room. Walking towards his bed, he stumbled over a box. When he looked inside it, he saw a picture of his family- all four of them standing by the Grand Canyon. It had been a surprise trip: one morning John had announced that they were going on a 'journey of life', as he had called it. They sat in the Impala and drove. It took them a day, but it was worth it; they were together, laughing and singing and Dean still remembered it as the best day of his life. His lips turned upwards into a nostalgic smile.

"We're gonna be okay, dad. I promise."

A week passed and Dean slowly got used to the new routine. He didn't talk with many of his classmates and when he did it related to school, but he had his lunch buddy to entertain him. He and Garth shared only small conversations, but it felt like friendship. Sam busied himself with schoolwork; he and Sarah studied together every day in the library. He didn't want Dean waiting for him, so he walked from school every day, but their house wasn't too far from school and Sam always did like physical activity more than him. Dean was worried about his brother, but he believed that Sam would talk to him if something was seriously troubling him.

Dean was strolling towards his car and whistling some catchy song he had heard that morning, when one of the jocks bumped into him and knocked him down.

"Hey, watch where you're going, dude," Dean stood up and mentally prepared himself for a possible fight, but the other guy's eyes widened while he repeated apologizes. Dean shrugged him off and walked away. It still surprised him how nice people were here. In his old school, someone would have started a fight for sure.

Once he was in his car, he realized his arm stung. He lifted his sleeve to look at his vaccine mark. It was red with a few yellow spots around it. When he touched it, the pain shot through his whole arm. Dean grunted and threw his head back against the seat. He'd hoped his mark had finally healed, but apparently not. Four months had passed since the vaccination and it hadn't stopped hurting.

In November, Dick Roman and his team of world-class scientists had released a new vaccine which was free for all people and worked against all virus diseases. A special team of medics traveled all over the US administering the vaccine. In a week the whole country was inoculated except children younger than fifteen because it wasn't safe for them, so Sam, who would be fifteen in two months, would have to get it then.

Dean couldn't believe his luck. The red, ugly mark was staring at him and Dean could almost hear it laughing. Soon it would be too hot for long sleeves and then there wouldn't be a way to hide the mark. Hopefully his mother would know what to do; after all, she was a nurse.

He drove slower and sloppier than usual because his hand hurt when he moved it. He hoped that Mary was home because the pain was unbearable.

"Mom, you home?" He shouted when he entered the house. The smell of pie enveloped him and he grinned. Sometimes you had to look forward to the little things.

"Hey, honey. How are you?" Mary asked him after he came into the kitchen to greet her.

"My arm hurts again. I fell and hit it. It looks pretty bad too."

He rolled his sleeve up and showed his arm to Mary, who gently touched the flaming skin. Dean flinched at the touch and gritted his teeth.

"Don't worry, Dean. It's not that bad. It will heal in a few days."

"But, mom, it's been hurting me since I got vaccinated. Shouldn't it have gotten better already?"

"Some people are more sensitive than the others and you have always been more sensitive," Mary said and went back to her cooking.

"That's stupid. People were supposed to be healthier thanks to the vaccine, but I'm going to lose my arm 'cause of it." Dean raised his voice, "This whole thing is stupid. Why should all people take the vaccine, especially if they are 'sensitive', huh? People were practically forced into doing it. What the fu- hell is Dick Roman doing? Don't you see that something is off?" He didn't mean to yell, but the words flew out of his mouth. He hadn't realized before how angry he actually was.

Mary had her back turned towards Dean and when Dean started ranting, she froze in the middle of her chore and stared at the wall. After Dean finished, he was flushed and his breathing was fast and shallow. Mary slowly turned around to look at him. Her face was drawn and her hands were pressed into a loose fist.

"Don't talk like that Dean," she said quietly but firmly. "This vaccine was a revolutionary discovery. It has helped and will continue to help a lot of people. Dick Roman is probably the best president this country ever had." Mary stopped for a moment before relaxing her posture and continuing, "And watch your language."

"So what, I can't disagree with you? I'm 18. I can vote so I have every right to complain."

"Dean, don't. Keep this to yourself. You don't want to get into a fight because of politics. You're too young for that," she tried to laugh, but gave up when Dean didn't join her.

"Sure, whatever," Dean pressed his lips together and stormed out of the room.

Once he reached his room and his stomach grumbled he realized that he hadn't eaten anything. His muscles were tense and he punched a pillow with his healthy arm. His mother's reaction confused him- he hadn't said anything bad, just expressed his doubt and concern.

But maybe his mother was right- she usually was- and he had overreacted. Yet, his guts told him something fishy was happening. He lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

_What the hell is going on, _he wondered.

—

His arm still hurt for a few days, but the pain killers and ice packs helped and it stopped looking like he carved a hole into it. Dean listened to Mary and kept his opinions to himself, but it didn't stop him from researching. The first place he looked: the Internet. He was surprised when he found almost no complaints about the vaccine or Roman and his politics. One of the websites he did find was led by two guys who called themselves The AlienFacers and they claimed that Dick Roman was an alien monster that could control minds. And eat people. He huffed a laugh and closed his laptop- people could be ridiculous.

But something was still nagging at him. He remembered that when Roman was elected, former president Dale had moved to the house he had in the country and his dad was selected to guard him. But after president Dale was killed a month later, John was moved to Washington. He'd worked in the White House, but not in direct contact with Roman. A month before he died, he'd come back home. He had said he'd taken a vacation. Dean didn't know what had happened to him, but John was alert and guarded constantly. At the time they'd suspected he was sick, maybe, but now Dean had a feeling something else had been bothering him.

Later that day, Dean finally managed to have a talk with Sam. In some way.

"Hey, Sammy, you okay? Wanna talk about something, anything?"

"Dean," Sam sighed. "Yes, I am sad about dad. No, I still don't want to talk about it."

With that Sam left. If that was what he wanted, Dean would leave him alone and wait for Sam to come to him when he was ready.

On Friday, Dean stayed in the library after school, writing an essay. Sam and Sarah left earlier than usual to get a frozen yogurt and Dean sent a wink in Sam's direction and, in return, got a glare and tightly pressed lips.

After finishing, he walked through the long, deserted hallway ready to leave when he heard loud yelling and pounding. He walked towards the noise and realized it was coming from Zachariah's office. The doors of the office were cracked open and he peeked inside.

Zachariah stood in front of Chuck Shurley, Dean's English teacher, who was sobbing. Chuck's upper lip was bloody, his body was shaking and he kept mumbling _I'm sorry_ repeatedly. Zachariah was yelling something about missing files and greater punishment.

Dean didn't understand what was happening, but when Zachariah raised his hand to throw a punch at Chuck, Dean couldn't help himself. He jumped into the room and hurried to stand between the two men.

"Stop," Dean yelled.

"Go away, kid. We are having a meeting," Zachariah said calmly like he hadn't been about to hit another man just few seconds before.

"Yeah, your fist was meeting his face. Um, I don't know what Mr. Shurley did, but I'm sure it's not okay to punch him for it," Dean was still shielding Chuck, but with less confidence than before. His principal could really pull an intimidating look.

Zachariah stepped forward and grabbed the collar of Dean's jacket. He started shaking Dean and was about to push him on the ground when Dean came to his senses and shoved Zachariah away. The principal stumbled backwards and hit his desk.

Dean realized what he'd done and started to apologize, but he was stopped with Zachariah's impatient growl.

"What's your name, boy? You got a month of detention starting now. Consider yourself lucky that I didn't expel you."

"Dean Winchester. I'm really sorry, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Both of you, out, now." Zachariah growled and gave Dean a note for detention.

Dean and Chuck hurried outside.

"Are you okay?" He asked once they were far enough from Zachariah's office.

"Yes, I'm fine. But, you shouldn't have done that, Dean. I deserved punishment for my mistake."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. Since he first saw him, Chuck seemed clumsy with low self-confidence, but Dean didn't think he'd let someone abuse him.

"I think you are wrong, sir," Dean said, "You should report him."

"Boy, you are crazy. Why would I report him?" Chuck looked at him with disbelief in his wide eyes. Dean furrowed his eyebrows and stared at his teacher who shook his head and left, muttering something about crazy teenagers.

Dean pinched himself and winced in pain. _Not a dream, then, _he thought.

He walked towards the classroom where detention was held. It was late and he wasn't sure if anyone was still there, but he decided to check. He quickly texted Mary to let her know that he was staying longer, but he maybe forgot to mention the part about detention. His mother didn't have to know yet, or ever.

The classroom was empty; only his geography teacher sat at the desk.

"Hello, is detention here? Principal Adler sent me."

The teacher looked at him and gestured towards the room.

"We don't have students in detention often. But you just sit here and be quiet. No cell phones, please. You have twenty minutes left today."

"Why are you here, then, if no one is staying behind?"

"It's my job, silly," and once again Dean was given _that_ look, the 'are you crazy' look, like he was crazy for asking why someone would sit in an empty classroom doing nothing.

They stopped talking and Dean took his books out. At least he could do something useful.

He looked through the window and noticed a guy standing beside the trees near the school parking lot. He had a messy dark hair and black outfit. He didn't look much older than Dean, so Dean regarded him as another student. It seemed like he was looking right at him so Dean lowered his gaze. After a few moments he couldn't resist looking up again, but the guy was nowhere to be found. He looked around, but he couldn't see him anywhere.

Dean sighed and went back to his work. Maybe it really was _him_ that was going crazy and not the rest of the world.

Twenty minutes later Dean was free to go. He gathered his books and rushed to the school's exit. When he was about to step outside the building, he felt another body colliding with him. Dean lost his balance, but before he fell, strong arms grabbed him and steadied him. When he looked up, he noticed blue eyes squinting at him. The guy was still gripping his shoulders, so Dean slowly squirmed out of his hold.

"Hey, sorry about that," he said, but the other guy just nodded. The guy was staring at him, and after Dean looked him up and down, he realized that it was the same guy he'd seen through the window.

"I know I'm pretty, but you should really control your staring, dude."

The guy flushed and started fidgeting, but he finally looked away.

"I'm sorry, Dean. It's really nice to finally meet you." The guy smiled shyly.

"How do you know my name?" Dean took a step back and crossed his arms.

"You are famous in the place I come from."

"Yeah, and where's that? The nut house?"

The guy ignored him and continued talking, gazing somewhere in the distance, "Dean, I know what you did to your principal."

Dean knew he was screwed. He had hoped he would be able to keep that to himself. "It was an accident, okay? I'm not looking for trouble."

"You stood up to him. No one does that, not anymore," the guy suddenly looked at Dean. "Unless they are immune."

"Immune to what? I think you had one too many, buddy. You should go home," Dean began walking towards the parking lot. It was late and he was tired and not in the mood to chat with weird, crazy guys. Not even if they were hot. Which this guy was not.

The guy grabbed his shoulder again. "You have to come with me, Dean."

"I only do that after the second date," Dean winked and bolted, but the guy followed him. "Besides, I don't even know your name."

"Dean, please. I have to ask you some questions. What do you know about Dick Roman?"

That made Dean stop. He gave him a cautious once-over.

"He's the best president this country ever had," Dean answered after some time.

"It doesn't sound like you believe it." The guy smirked.

"Do I have to believe it?"

"No, I suppose you don't. But, I need you to come with me."

"Dude, no means no."

Dean turned around and tried to walk away, but suddenly he felt a throbbing pain on the back of his head and everything turned dark.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you see that? He moved."

"Rufus, he's not dead. He moved his head, it doesn't mean he's waking up anytime soon."

"Well, if someone hadn't knocked him out, we wouldn't be worrying about that, would we."

"That's enough, you two. Keep quiet."

The voices were becoming clearer, but opening his eyes seemed impossible. His head hurt and he wanted to sleep. Slowly Dean remembered what happened. The crazy guy had knocked him out and it looked like he had company; at least two other guys were with him.

He tried to open his eyes, but the light hit him hard so his eyes shut closed.

"Dean, are you awake?" He recognized the voice of the son of a bitch that hit him. Once Dean was able to open his eyes and stand up, the guy was going to pay.

"Cas, don't get too close. If he's anything like his old man, he's gonna be pissed."

Dean's eyes flew open and he saw two black guys and the crazy guy standing above him. They were in a garage surrounded by dozens of cars.

"How do you know my father?" He asked while trying to get up from the floor. They could have at least put him on something softer.

"Son, you don't need to worry about that now. Everything will be explained," the older looking guy said. He was the one who had mentioned his dad, "This isn't the original plan, but Cas here," he gestured at the crazy guy, "panicked, so we had to improvise."

"I don't like your improvisation."

The guy ignored him, "I'm Rufus and that is Victor. Welcome to MSO headquarter."

"MSO? What does that stand for? Moronic, stupid o- hmm… Never mind."

"You'll know more later, Dean, but you need to come with us," the crazy guy, Cas, said. What kind of a name was that anyway?

"You knocked me out, _Cas_," Dean said, trying to mock the name. "I'm not going anywhere without some kind of explanation."

"You want an explanation? Fine." Cas stepped closer and looked him in the eyes. "We are a secret organization that works against Dick Roman's mind control."

Dean's mouth hung open as he processed the new information.

"So Roman really is an alien monster," Dean said after he got over his surprise. "Holy shit, I can't believe those crazy nerds were right."

"What?"

"What?"

"No, Dean. He is not an alien monster."

"Oh."

"Yes."

Silence fell over them and they stared at each other until Rufus cleared his throat.

"Look, kid. We want to take you to our boss. He'll explain everything." He and Victor started walking toward the door.

Dean nodded, "Just let me text my mom. She'll be worried." Dean took out his phone and started typing when he felt someone standing behind him. When he glanced over his shoulder, Cas stood there and there was barely any space between their bodies.

"I have to make sure you don't tell her something you shouldn't," Cas said when he noticed Dean was watching him.

"Mhm, sure." Dean typed out a quick message that he went to grab a burger after school and put away his phone. "You satisfied, Columbo?"

Cas nodded and they followed Rufus and Victor out of the garage.

"What is this place, anyway?"

"It's an underground bunker."

"Don't tell him that, Cas."

"He deserves to know, Rufus."

"Shut up, guys," Victor said. It seemed keeping the other two quiet was his only task.

They walked through the maze of hallways which all looked the same to Dean, only the wall decorations differed.

After moments of silence Dean spoke, "Oldies. Moronic, stupid oldies. MSO."

The other three men shook their heads and Cas added an eye-roll.

"Shut up," Victor said, "We are here."

They stopped in front of the door that had a sign on it which said Bobby Singer. The name sounded familiar, but Dean didn't have enough time to think deeply about it because Rufus opened the door and ushered him inside.

Bobby Singer was a messy man. His office, if that could be called an office, was full of books and papers everywhere - on the floor, desk, chairs. Behind the desk sat a man with a shaggy beard and ruffled clothes. When they entered the room, he looked up from the papers in his hands and grumbled something that sounded like, "Finally."

"Sir, we brought Dean Winchester," Cas said.

"I can see that, idjit." Singer rolled his eyes. "Come in, boy. Sit down." He motioned towards one of the chairs. "Just move those documents."

Dean did so and used that time to inspect Bobby Singer. He didn't look like a boss of anything, let alone a secret organization.

"Do I know you? You look familiar."

"We met a few years back. You were six or seven," Singer said, "I worked with John before he joined Secret Service."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, I remember. You mind tellin' me what the fuck is going on 'round here? Three musketeers wouldn't tell me jack," the mentioned men were standing by the door.

"The night your father died, he was meeting me." Dean pursed his lips. He remembered that night: John had been nervous and in the evening he'd said he had to go somewhere. A few hours later they got the call. "Look, your old man, he found out some things about our president. He was killed 'cause of that."

"Killed?" Dean clenched his fists and stood up. "He was killed? Why didn't the police find anything? Everyone said it was a car accident."

"Sit down. When the president wants you dead, no one can do anything about that."

"That's bullshit."

"Welcome to our world, boy."

"Does this have anything with the 'mind control'?"

Singer nodded. "You remember the vaccination that was handed out last November?"

"Hell yeah, I remember. My arm likes to remind me every now and then."

"It still hurts then. That's one of the signs that you are immune. The other signs include punching your principal." He ignored Dean's eye-roll. "Dick Roman hired a team of scientists to create a chemical substance that makes mind control possible. That substance was in the vaccine. Of course, it doesn't work on everyone. You, Cas, Victor. You are immune. We others never got the vaccine. All of us wanna stop Roman."

"Holy shit," Dean said, his eyes were wide and his mouth hung open.

"Got any questions?"

"How does it work? I mean, how does he tell people what to do?"

"He uses sound signals," Cas said, "Do you remember that after you were vaccinated, you had to watch the video of Roman thanking everyone? In that video, there were secret sound signals which worked because the chemical in the vaccine enabled hypnosis. The signals are broadcast every time Roman speaks on TV or in public. People do everything he says. Or what anyone else says as long those signals are in the background."

"Why don't you tell everyone? Shouldn't people know?"

"They wouldn't believe it. It would cause a riot," said Singer, "And Dick would have us killed."

Dean rubbed his eyes. The pounding in his head was getting stronger- and not only because of the previous injury.

"So what do you do then? Sit around and kidnap people?"

"We are trying to find a cure, Dean. It's not that easy," Cas told him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Where else is that signal used?"

"On TV, whenever someone on a high position is on; of course all of them are under Roman, so they say whatever he would. Plus, churches, public speeches, some schools, radio, internet. Those bastards are everywhere and now they are influencing innocent people," said Singer.

"What do you want from me, though?"

"You are John's son. He found out about Roman's plan months before it happened. He told me about it and we started this organization. It was him who came up with the name. Mind Security Organization. He was supposed to be in charge of this place." Signer sighed and looked lost in thoughts. "You have every right to be here and we would appreciate your help, but if you don't wanna you're free to leave."

Dean lowered his eyes. He wanted to help. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"John had some documents about this. He hid them somewhere, maybe you'll know where. If you find them, you'll contact Cas. But for now, you should go home, pretend you're controlled. You don't want someone calling authorities about a misbehaving teenager. Especially watch out for Zachariah Adler. He's one of Dick's people."

His world was spinning- there was too much information to process. Everything he knew was a charade. They were all Roman's puppets. But there was no other choice than to accept. He nodded and stood up. They said their goodbyes and Dean exited the office with Cas and Victor behind him. Rufus stayed "to have a chat with the boss," as he said.

When they were out, Victor left in a hurry, so Dean and Cas were left alone. Dean wasn't sure what to think of Cas, but as he looked into those blue eyes, he saw nothing but sincere regret.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't mean to hit you. I panicked because our plan wasn't working and my social skills are not perfect. I hope it doesn't hurt too badly." Cas looked genuinely sorry, so Dean gave him a small reassuring smile.

"It's okay. But now you owe me." He smirked and winked.

Cas blushed and nodded. "I can give you some painkillers. Do you want a tour around the place too?" He asked him and Dean accepted. He was curious about the place.

Cas led him towards the 'operation room' as he called it. They walked slowly in silence, until they reached the huge room that looked like an old library. He was sure Sam would love it there and even though he'd never admit it, Dean loved it too.

"Holy shit."

Dean looked around the room. Shelves with hundreds of books surrounded the middle of the room and desks with computers, two of which were occupied; one by a red-head girl who looked about his age, and the second one by guy with a mullet, probably two or three years older than Dean. Both of them looked up when he and Cas entered, but the guy returned his eyes to the screen a moment later.

"Charlie, Ash, this is Dean," Cas said. "Ash, I hope you're not playing a game, but working."

"'Course I am, boss. I'm working real hard," Ash said without looking up. "Nice to meet you Dean. You're pretty famous here, dude."

Charlie got up and walked towards them.

"Dean, I'm so excited you're here." She hugged him. "Are you staying here?"

The hug ended quickly, so Dean didn't have time to react and it surprised him that everyone was well informed about him.

"I'm not staying. The boss told me to go home. Cas is just giving me a tour."

Charlie chuckled. "Are you gonna give him a tour in your bedroom too?" She winked at Cas who went red in his face.

"Charlie, stop it. That's inappropriate," he said and avoided Dean's eyes who watched the exchange with an amused smile.

"I'm just kidding, Cas. Dean doesn't mind." She looked at Dean. "Right?"

"Nope. So, are you immune too?"

"Yeah. Let's walk. I'm hungry. You?" Both of them nodded and they left the operation room.

The kitchen was big and it had a small table in the corner. Charlie grabbed three sandwiches from the fridge and Cas found some painkillers for Dean.

"So it all started when my girlfriend left me," Charlie started once they were sat at the table. She looked at Dean as to see his reaction and nodded to continue. "Her name was Gilda. She was absolutely gorgeous and nice and smart and-" She was cut off by Cas' cough. "Anyway, we were happy together, but a few weeks after the vaccination, she left me without an explanation and started dating some guy. I was so sure she was into girls only, but I wrote it off- sexuality is fluid, right? And _then_, my parents who were totally fine with me before, started asking me about getting a boyfriend. They ignored me every time I said I was 100% lesbian. And soon everyone else was doing the same. That's when I got really suspicious." She stopped talking and focused on her sandwich.

"I don't get it. Roman never said anything against, you know, being gay. I mean, same sex marriage is still legal everywhere."

"He didn't say anything. But others did. Buddy Boyle is doing his dirty job. And since Buddy is from my hometown, everyone watches his show. My parents too, even though they're not religious."

"Same sex marriage being legal is more for show, so it wouldn't attract attention from other countries. If it goes how Roman wants it, no one will _want_ to get married with someone of the same sex," Cas said.

"That's fucked up. They can't just erase someone's sexuality!"

"Before I knew why everyone was acting like that, I decided to punish my whole town," Charlie smirked. "I hacked into my town's local radio station. During lunch time there's this show that mostly airs music from the 80's and for some reason is really popular in my town. Anyway, that day everyone listened to me reading very explicit gay erotica."

A loud laugh erupted from Dean, drawing the same reaction from both Cas and Charlie.

"I like you," Dean told Charlie once their laughter died off.

"Well, thank you, sir. But I must return to my duties now. Gentlemen." She got up and bowed before turning around. In a swift move she was out of the room.

"She's something else, man."

"Yes, she is," Cas said. "If you're done eating I can show you other rooms."

After they cleaned up, Cas led Dean into a huge gym. Dozens of mats were spread across the room, surrounded by several pieces of exercise equipment.

"It's late so no one is here, but in the morning it's full."

"Everyone wants to be at full strength when they get to punch Dick."

Cas chuckled. "Something like that."

Further inside the gym, there was a door to the shooting range. As they stepped inside a loud blast made both of them jump. A woman was practicing and it seemed like she didn't notice them. While they waited for her to finish, Dean admired her skill.

"Hello, Jody," Cas said as the woman put away the gun. "This is Dean." When Jody walked towards them, Cas introduced her. "This is Sheriff Jody Mills."

Dean shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. You're a sheriff?"

She smiled sadly. "Not anymore, but people like to call me that. Have you met Bobby already?"

"Yeah. Cas is just showing me the place."

"Well, don't get into trouble. I have to go now, but I'll see you around, Dean."

After she left, Dean turned to Cas. "What's her story? She seemed sad."

Cas looked away and frowned. "She lost her husband and son in the attack on the hospital." His voice was quiet.

Dean remembered it. Last December, a new hospital had opened only for deaf people because of a newly-discovered cure- it worked on anyone. It seemed like a miracle, but every deaf person was requested to go there. Even transport was organized for people who couldn't afford it. In a few days all deaf people were in that hospital waiting to be cured. Only they never did. The whole building exploded and everyone inside it - patients, family, and doctors - died instantly. No survivors.

When everything clicked into place, Dean gasped. "That wasn't a terrorist attack, was it?"

"No. Roman organized the explosion. His control can't work on deaf people, so he killed them."

Dean felt sick. "I was right, you know? He _is_ a monster."

"I know Dean. Jody's son was five. She was on her way to the hospital. She wanted to be the first person he'd hear. But…." His eyes were wet and Dean fought against the urge to hug him. Instead, he put his hand on Cas' shoulder and squeezed gently.

Cas gave him a small, grateful smile and Dean pulled away.

"Does everyone here have a sad story?"

"Yes, most of us do." The bitter tone he used surprised Dean, but before he could ask about it, Victor entered the shooting range.

"Finally. I was looking all over for you. Rufus is ready to go. We'll meet you in the garage." He told them, but before he left, he took a long look at Cas. "You okay, Cas?"

Cas wiped his eyes as to erase the evidence of his feelings and smiled. "I'm fine, Victor. Don't worry."

Victor didn't even try to pretend like he bought it, but he didn't press any further.

After he left, Dean and Cas once again found themselves alone.

"That was actually the most I've heard him speak."

"He doesn't talk much. Rufus knew him before and he told me Victor used to joke all the time, but I guess he saw too much."

They made their way to the garage through the labyrinth of hallways.

"What happened to you?" Dean couldn't help asking. Cas intrigued him and he wanted to know his story.

Cas stopped walking and his shoulders slumped. "My younger brother is deaf. He, well both of us were supposed to be at that hospital, but I found out about Roman's plan before and we escaped."

Dean's eyebrows shot up. "How did you know about it?"

"One of my, um," Cas stared at the floor and played with the hem of his shirt, "relatives worked for Roman."

"Did you try to say anything to someone?"

"No." Cas sounded ashamed. "I was scared. I just wanted Alfie to be safe and I didn't think about anything else. But, even if I did try to say something, no one would believe me. Before Rufus found us, we were hiding on the streets for weeks. I had to listen to everyone talking about terrorists and every time, I wanted to scream the truth in their faces."

They stayed quiet for a few moments and started walking again.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that shit. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been."

Cas shrugged. "It's in the past." He pushed one door open and they walked into the garage. "They will be here soon."

"What about your parents?" Dean asked after a while.

"My father left us many years ago. I barely remember him."

"And your mom?"

"She's dead," Cas answered after some time. His voice was tight as he spoke. "But Jody and Ellen are better mothers to me and Alfie than she ever was."

Dean put his hand on Cas' shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry, Cas."

"Well, I'm sorry too. About your father."

Dean removed his hand and looked away. "Life is a bitch. Nothing we can do about it."

Cas must have noticed that he was uncomfortable, so he changed the subject. "We didn't finish our tour. There are more things to show you."

"We'll save those for the next time."

"Maybe you can meet Alfie. I think he would like you."

"Yeah, I'd like that. I think Sammy would like you too." Dean grinned. "What's with the name, by the way? Cas and Alfie?"

At Dean's surprise, Cas laughed. "It's actually Castiel and Samandriel Novak. We're named after angels. Don't even ask. But, when Alfie was born, I couldn't pronounce his name so I called him Alfie."

"Why Alfie?"

"There was some show back then I liked to watch. They had a baby called Alfie. My brother was also baby so they were the same person in my mind. It just stuck after."

They were still laughing when Rufus and Victor walked in.

Victor walked toward one of the vans while Rufus stayed with them.

"Sorry for waiting. Ellen came back."

"Who's Ellen?"

"Our boss," Rufus said.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought Bobby was your boss."

Cas chuckled. "He is, formally. But he doesn't make any decision without Ellen's approval."

"You ready to go, kid?" Rufus asked him.

"Yeah. No, wait." He turned to Cas. "Bobby told me to contact you. Do you have a number, or?"

"Do you know where Larry's coffee shop is?"

Dean nodded. His mom liked to go there, so he was familiar with the place.

"Across the street there is a small bookshop. If you need me, leave a note in one of the books about gardening. I go there every few days, so I'll find you if I get your message."

"You'll check those books every time, just for me?" Dean smirked.

"Don't be silly, Dean. There are other people who know about us." Cas said, but smiled at Dean's fake pout.

"If you two are done flirting, Dean, get inside the van."

Dean said goodbye and got inside the car, closely followed by Rufus.

The van had no windows, so Dean couldn't see outside. He had figured that was intentional. The ride wasn't long and after approximately twenty minutes, he was standing in front of his school. It was already evening and he didn't waste any time as he hurried to his Impala and drove home feeling like his life had changed dramatically that day.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Dean tried to keep up his act, carefully avoiding getting into trouble of any kind. He stayed quiet in school, went to detention, did his homework- he did his best. Despite his efforts, Zachariah observed him whenever they were close, but Dean hoped he would give up and write the incident off as Dean being a new student.

Even harder was pretending at home. Dean wanted to tell Sam everything. His brother wasn't vaccinated yet and Dean hoped that MSO would find a way to help Sam. It was the last week of March and Sam's birthday was a little over a month away which didn't leave a lot of time, but Dean would do anything to save Sam. He didn't know what chances were that Sam was immune too, and he didn't want to risk his brother's sanity to find out.

For that reason, Dean attempted to find the documents Bobby told him about, but he didn't know what exactly he was supposed to be looking for. Most of John's belongings were stored in the attic, so that was where Dean looked first. He went through every box, unraveling many memories, but he didn't find any documents related to Roman. Dean was sure Mary would know where else to look, but he couldn't ask without making her suspicious.

When he stepped out of the attic, he bumped into Sam.

"Hey, Sammy. What's up?"

Sam narrowed his eyes. "What were you doing?"

"I was, um, looking for something, nothing important. So how are you and Sarah doing, huh?" Dean rubbed his neck trying to stay cool, but judging by the unchanged look on Sam's face he was failing.

"Sarah and I are friends. Don't change the subject." Dean huffed at that- in the last few months Sam did the same to him dozens of times and Dean always played along. "Were you going through dad's stuff?"

Dean pulled him in his room. His brother was persistent and he wouldn't give up until he heard what he wanted. "I did, but it ain't a big deal, 'kay. I wanted to check out some of his stuff to bring back the memories or something. I miss him, you know."

Sam's eyes softened and he squeezed Dean's shoulder. "I know, Dean. I miss him, too." He admitted in a quiet voice. "I never realized how much he meant to me until he died."

Dean was surprised by Sam's honesty and he pulled his brother into a tight hug. "I get it, kid. We'll get through this." He felt his eyes water, but held the tears back. Sam needed him strong.

After they separated, Dean suggested playing a game on PS3. "C'mon, we haven't hung out for ages."

Sam agreed and they set up the game, playing for several minutes before Dean spoke. "How do you like the town? And people?"

"It's okay, I guess. Smaller than I'm used to."

"Anything weird?"

"No?" Sam said, but it sounded more like a question.

"You sure?"

"Well, the principal still freaks me out. Did you notice how people are nicer and quieter? They are all afraid of him, for sure."

"Yeah, there's definitely something off about him," Dean said.

They continued playing without talking.

—

That night Mary knocked gently on his door and came in. It reminded him of the time when he was young and she came to his room every night to wish him a good night, always adding, "Angels are watching over you."

Dean motioned to his chair and she sat down while he sat on his bed.

"What's up, mom?"

She looked around the room before her eyes fixed on him. "Sam told me you were going through dad's stuff."

Dean rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I wanted to see if there is something I could take, so it could remind me of him, you know?" Dean rambled. "I saw his old leather jacket. You remember that? I wanted to take it, but I was afraid it would make you and Sam sad."

Mary nodded slowly. Dean was always incapable of deceiving his mother, so she probably knew he was lying.

"It's okay, Dean. I was just wondering. You can take the jacket if you want." She got up and walked toward the door. Before closing the door behind herself, she whispered. "Goodnight, honey."

But no mention of angels.

He hoped he was off the hook, but the next day after school Mary called him into the kitchen. She sat at the table and gestured at him to sit across from her. Her serious face was on and her hands lay crossed in front of her.

"I talked to Mr. Adler today. I know what happened. Why didn't you tell me?"

_Well, shit._

"I didn't wanna upset you. I'm sorry, okay. I'm going to detention every day and I apologized."

"You could have been expelled, Dean." Her voice was steady, but filled with anger combined with disappointment written all over her face.

"I know," he said quietly. His eyes darted away from her to his folded hands.

"Mr. Adler suggested I should send you to boarding school."

Dean's eyes shoot up. "What?"

"I think it's a good idea. He showed me some brochures and it looks good. I think you'll like it there."

"Mom, you can't do that. I won't do anything like this ever again. I swear. Mom, please." Dean begged. He expected to be grounded and yelled at, but this never crossed his mind. It was just proof of the control Zachariah and Roman had over people.

"You're going, Dean. And that's final. You have a week and a half."

Dean stood up without the word and stormed to his room. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. He was being forced to leave his home and family. Not to mention, it would be hard to pretend at that place and they would probably realize he was immune. He was royally screwed.

He looked around his room and when his eyes fell on a pile of books on his desk, he remembered something.

_Cas can help me._

Tomorrow he would go to the bookshop and leave Cas a message.

He was annoyed, so he decided to dig through some of the boxes - that he still hadn't unpacked - to lose some of the frustration he was feeling.

In one of the boxes, he found an old journal. It was something he and John did when he was younger, writing secrets and messages for only the two of them to see. He had completely forgotten about it. Dean opened the journal on the last page and noticed the date. John wrote something a day before he died. His dad's handwriting was messy, so it took him a moment to read the message.

_I'm sorry, Dean. I'm not angry. I love you no matter what. _

One tear rolled down Dean's cheek before he could stop it. It was a relief that his father had cared for him even after their fight.

When he went to close the journal, he noticed a few papers folded and stuck between the pages. He took them out and inspected them. PROJECT GADREEL was a title written in bold red letters. He didn't understand most of it, but he recognized words like vaccine and hypnosis. It was enough to tell him he found what he had been looking for.

—

With the last bell, Dean ran out of his classroom. During his English class, he had written a message for Cas: _I'm in trouble AND I found the thing. Find me ASAP. D.W. _He tried to be discreet in case someone else found the message.

Ten minutes later Dean entered the bookshop. He greeted the woman behind the counter, Maggie as it said on her nametag and made a beeline for the Home & Garden section. Cas wasn't specific about the book, but there were only three about gardening, so Dean took the biggest one and stuck his message inside it. He didn't want to look suspicious, so he looked around for a few minutes.

Dean was browsing through the comic section when the sound of the door broke the quietness in the shop.

"Good afternoon, Maggie."

The deep voice made him turn around towards the source of it. Over the bookshelves he caught sight of familiar messy hair. Their eyes met briefly before Dean returned his gaze to the comic book. Cas went to the Home & Garden section and Dean joined him after a few moments. They didn't talk, but Dean slowly stroked the spine of the book in which he put the message. Cas took the book in his hands and extracted the small paper. He skimmed through the message and looked up at Dean.

"Wait for me outside."

Dean obeyed and exited the bookshop. He waited a few feet away from the store and ten minutes later Cas came out. He motioned Dean to follow and led them to the darkest part of a secluded alley near the bookshop.

"What happened?"

"Hello, to you too, Cas." Dean said. "My mom is sending me to a boarding school."

"When?" Cas frowned.

"In a week and a half."

Cas pursed his lips, "That presents a problem."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"I'll talk to Bobby and Ellen. We'll meet tomorrow here again after school and I'll tell you what to do. Bring those documents with you too."

Dean nodded when he had a thought. "Okay, but can you give me the directions to the bunker? Like, in case something happens and I need to flee." Dean didn't understand why they never told him the location of their headquarters- as a member he should know that.

"Dean, that's classified information. You won't need it." Cas started walking away, but Dean put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around.

"Cas, my mom is suspicious and so is Sam. I don't want to drag him into this, but he's a smart kid. I need to have something in case of an emergency." Dean removed his hand from Cas' shoulder- "Please."

"I understand that you're scared, but-" Dean glared at him and Cas shook his head. "You are impossible. Give me your phone."

Dean raised his eyebrow but handed him the phone anyway.

Cas typed quickly. "How do you take screen shots?"

"You press those two at the same time." Dean gestured at the buttons.

After a few moments, Cas returned the phone. "Here you are. The picture is in the folder for screen shots."

Dean took his phone back and saw the picture Cas had saved. It was a screen shot of the Lebanon map from Google maps on which Cas had drawn a route. He smiled at Cas. "That was smart."

"I know." Cas answered with a smile of his own, which disappeared quickly. "Don't do anything stupid because I'll be in big trouble."

"Trust me, Cas." Dean squeezed Cas' shoulder and put on his most charming smile.

Cas didn't look convinced, but he didn't argue. "Goodbye, Dean," he said and within a second Dean was alone.

—

Sam was sitting on a couch when Dean got home. He was watching TV which Dean wouldn't find weird if the TV was turned on.

"Hey, Sammy. What's up?" Dean asked as he flung himself beside his brother.

Sam didn't look like he would answer, but probably changed his mind. "Sarah was acting weird today. She was cold and she avoided me for most of the day," he said. "I don't know what I did."

"It wasn't you, Sammy. Maybe she had a bad day," Dean told him, but he thought of another thing. "Did Sarah get the vaccine?"

"Yeah, yesterday. You think that's why she was weird?"

Dean froze. "What? No. Well, maybe it hurts. I don't know." Dean tripped over his words. "Did she, um, talk to Za-um, the principal recently?"

"She did. It was necessary after the vaccination. I guess they have to make sure everyone's okay," Sam said, but he sounded like he didn't believe in his own words. His eyebrows were furrowed, and Dean could almost hear the wheels turning inside his head.

"Sure. You hungry?" Dean got up and went to the kitchen. He heard Sam following him.

"What's going on, Dean?"

"Nothing, Sammy."

"Bullshit. I know mom is sending you away. Because of Mr. Adler?" Sam crossed his arms. "Is he in the mafia? The whole town knows it. That's why everybody is acting weird."

Dean snorted. "Jesus. He's not in the mafia. Your imagination is running wild." Dean looked at Sam. "I got in a fight. I regret it, but mom is sending me away. Don't worry, we still have time to change her mind." Dean smiled at Sam, but he knew there wasn't any chance of staying. Dean was leaving, he just hoped not to boarding school.

Sam seemed to buy it. "You would tell me, right? If you got in a big trouble."

Dean nodded. "Of course." And he didn't lie. Technically, everyone else was in trouble and Dean was trying to help.

—

After his talk with Sam, Dean was even more impatient for his meeting with Cas. He needed to know what he should do about boarding school. There was no chance going to that place would do him any good.

He and Sam drove to school, quietly as always, but when they parked Sam spoke.

"I'm not staying in the library today. I'm gonna leave Sarah alone for a while. We can go home together."

Shit. His brother really knew how to pick a day for changing his routine. Dean scratched his head. "Actually, I have to go somewhere after school. You don't mind? But, I'm free tomorrow."

Sam looked surprised. "No, I don't mind. What do you have to?"

"I promised Garth I'll drive him to his, um, grandma."

"Okay. I'll see you later, then." Sam got out of the car and Dean let out a breath of relief. His lying skills were improving, but not enough. His brother was smart and he knew Dean well- there was no way he didn't suspect something.

The rest of the day didn't go any better. Every class closer to the end lasted even longer than previous, but eventually the sound of the bell whizzed through the building and Dean was free.

He hurried outside and carefully avoided Sam. When he got to the alley, he looked around to see if anyone was following. He waited for fifteen minutes, but there was no sign of Cas.

Dean considered leaving when he felt a presence behind him. "Hello, Dean."

He jumped and put a hand over his heart. "Jesus, Cas. You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry," Cas said, but with the small smile on his face he didn't look sorry at all. "Do you have the documents?"

"Yeah, here." Dean drew the papers from his bag and handed them to Cas. "Did you talk with Bobby?"

"Yes." Cas turned his eyes away from Dean. "They said you should wait. Don't do anything and go with your mother to that school."

Dean stared at him, his fist clenched by his side and took a deep breath. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Dean. They said you should trust them. I'm certain they have a plan."

"But they didn't tell you what that plan is."

"I would've told you if they did. That's probably the reason they didn't."

"Cas, if I go there, I'm screwed. They'll find out I'm immune and have me killed or something," Dean said while stepping closer to Cas. "And you're asking me to trust them? People I met once."

Cas dropped his head and avoided Dean's eyes, "I know, Dean. They know. But they've saved me and a lot of other people. They know what they're doing. Please."

Dean was angry and he wanted to yell at Cas and demand to go with him, but chose a different tactic. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess. I trust you and if you trust them…"

Cas smiled. "Thank you, Dean. You're making my job easier."

"No problem. I'll see you, Cas." Dean turned around and walked away. In the distance he heard Cas saying goodbye.

He hoped Cas believed him because there was no way he'd sit around and wait for the plan which possibly didn't even exist.

—

After dinner, Dean hung around with Sam watching TV. Mary was working a night shift in the hospital, so they had the house to themselves until morning. It marked a great opportunity for the escape.

Dean waited till Sam went to bed to start packing. He took clothes, money and one picture of his family. He pinned a message for Sam and Mary on the fridge: _I'm sorry, but I don't want to go to boarding school. Don't look for me, please. I love you. -Dean._

He walked to the door quietly and when he was about to turn the knob, the lights in the room turned on. He swirled around and to find an angry-looking Sam.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking a walk."

"At three AM. With your duffel bag." Sam crossed his arms. "Don't lie to me, Dean. I deserve to know what's happening" he shouted.

"It's better for you if you don't know."

"I don't care."

Dean sighed, "It's a long story. We should sit down."

He told Sam everything that had happened to him over the last few weeks. When he finished, Sam looked crushed.

"How could they do that?"

"I don't know, Sammy."

"And you were just gonna escape? Leave me here to become like that?"

Dean rubbed his eyes. "I hoped MSO would find a way to help you before you're vaccinated. If there wasn't a way, I'd come and get you. But I didn't want you to get involved with this, not yet at least. It's dangerous."

"I'm involved now. I'm going with you."

"Sam, no." Dean pointed his finger at Sam's face.

"It's late now. But tomorrow. Mom is working night shift again. We'll leave a message. Saying that we didn't want to be separated or something."

"If I take you, the police will look for us 'cause you're a minor. I'm 18, I can go if I want. It would attract too much attention if you went."

"Dean. I'll refuse the vaccine and they'll realize I know. They'll force me to take it or kill me or something."

"I'm not going to let that happen. I'll help you before your birthday. But you can't come with me _now_."

"But what if something happens. You're going to risk my life?"

Dean knew that Sam was trying to persuade him into agreeing, but his brother was right. Dean wasn't going to risk it. "Shit. Fine. You're going. Geez, you're stubborn." Dean hid his face in his palms. "Cas is gonna be pissed."

Sam chuckled, "Sorry, Dean. But, Cas seems cool. He'll forgive you."

"Yeah, he's awesome." Dean smiled. "Go to bed, Sam."

"Don't escape."

"Don't worry."

Before going to sleep, Dean removed his message for Mary and hid his duffle bag.

Considering they went to bed late, the next morning came quickly and both Dean and Sam were tired. In the car on the ride to school, their yawning killed their usual silence.

They didn't see each other in school, but Dean was sure Sam felt as nervous as him, if not even more. Their plan was risky, especially because Dean didn't know how MSO would react to their escape.

Mary was there when they got home and they ate together. For a moment they were a normal family. When they finished Dean went to his room, leaving Sam and Mary in the kitchen.

In his room, he realized he forgot his phone so he returned to the kitchen, but stopped before entering. Sam and Mary were talking and he didn't want to interrupt them.

"I'm fine, Sammy. Don't worry about me. Are you okay?"

"I guess I just miss dad."

"I know sweetie. I miss him too."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too."

Dean peeked into the kitchen and saw them hugging. He smiled. That was probably Sam's way of saying goodbye. Dean wished he could do that, but he didn't want to draw more suspicion on himself.

A few hours later, Mary went to work and the brothers headed to Sam's room to pack his stuff.

"Are you sure you want to leave now, Sam? You still have some time before your birthday to spend with mom."

Sam nodded. "I don't want to be surrounded by people who are like this. I don't think I could pretend like everything is normal."

They wrote a message for Mary and left it on a kitchen table. After making sure they had everything, they got in the Impala. Dean gave Sam his phone so Sam could tell him the directions. The bunker was out of town, but the way there wasn't too complicated.

When they arrived at the spot Cas marked as the bunker, they were met with trees all around them.

"Maybe he tricked you."

"No, he wouldn't do that. Maybe the doors are hidden."

On the ground in front of them there were old car tracks and Dean followed them. He noticed they ended in front of a small hill. When they got closer, he saw the door hidden on the hill.

"Wait here," Dean said and got out of the car.

He walked to the door and succeeded at opening it. It surprised him that MSO left the door unlocked, but he wasn't going to complain. He peeked inside and saw the garage he had been in days ago so he opened the door the whole way and went back to the car.

Dean drove inside and parked his car before going to the door and closing it. He looked for the entrance to the hallway and ushered Sam towards it when suddenly the door opened and Dean was met with familiar blue eyes.

"Hey, Cas."

"Dean. I should have known," Cas said.

Dean shrugged and smiled. "Sorry, Cas."

Cas shook his head and turned toward Sam. "I presume you're Sam."

"Yeah. Nice to meet you."

Cas nodded.

"Look, I wanted to come alone, but Sam caught me and he insisted I take him."

"It doesn't matter. You really should have waited. Come with me now."

"Did you find out what the plan was?"

"Yes, I did. Just now. You'll see in a minute."

They walked through hallways toward Bobby's office. In front of the door, Cas told them to wait while he went in. They heard voices discussing something, almost shouting, before Cas' head peeked outside and told them to come in.

Inside the office Dean noticed a middle-aged woman- he supposed it was Ellen though she reminded him of someone- sitting in Bobby's spot with Bobby standing beside her. At that moment he didn't care about them because on the other side of the desk stood a familiar person. Dean gaped at the sight.

"Hello, boys," she told them.

"Mom."


	4. Chapter 4

"Why are you here, Mom?" Dean asked, still shocked.

"I should be asking you the same question." She crossed her arms. "Why didn't you do what you were told and wait?" She sounded desperate.

"I didn't know what I was waiting for!"

"Okay, sit down everyone." Bobby said after a few moments of silent staring between Dean and Mary. "Cas, you too."

After they sat down, Dean noticed that the office was cleaner and neater than before.

The woman sitting in the chair spoke. "Dean, your mother works for us."

"Since when? Why didn't you tell me? And who are you?" The last part Dean directed at the woman.

"My name is Ellen Harvelle."

And, yeah, now Dean knew of who she was reminding him. Of herself. Ellen Harvelle was a former senator. She quit soon after Roman became president.

"You're dead."

A few months after her resignation, she and her daughter had died in a helicopter accident.

"Well, obviously I'm not."

"Yeah, I get that." Dean said, lacking better words and then turned his head toward Mary. "Care to explain, mom?"

"When your father died, I was sure he was killed, so I started asking around about his job and I met Bobby. He briefed me on Roman's plans and I joined MSO as a kind of secret agent."

"So, you're immune too?" Sam asked before Dean could.

Mary looked away from them. "I never got vaccinated. Well, not with the real one."

"We managed to fake the vaccine for our best agents." Bobby explained. "Wasn't easy, but definitely worth it."

Dean let the information settle when he realized something. His jaw clenched. "You let me be vaccinated."

Mary's eyes softened and she tried to take one of Dean's hands in hers, but he pulled away. "I'm sorry. We tried to stop it, but it was impossible. Hiding you would have attracted too much attention and exposed MSO. I tried everything, but there was no way. It was the hardest thing I had to do, endangering you. But, as luck would have it, you're immune."

Dean's chest burned with anger, but his mother's eyes begged him to understand. He knew she felt guilty, but he couldn't forgive her.

"Look, Dean. I know you're angry at us. You have every right to be. But it was impossible to help you at that moment. Our organization was less powerful then." Ellen explained. "We couldn't risk it."

Sam glanced at him before asking Mary, "What if you get caught? Isn't this job really dangerous?"

She smiled. "I won't get caught. I was well trained."

"When did you have time for that?"

"Before you were born." She sighed. "Before I met your father, I used to work for the CIA."

"What?" Sam and Dean shouted at the same time, but Dean added, "Did dad know?"

"No."

"No? Were you planning to tell him or us? Ever?"

"No. That was in the past. The past I'm not proud of and wanted to leave behind."

Dean stood up and walked to the other side of the room. "I can't believe this."

"Dean, I'm truly sorry."

"So, the whole boarding school thing was just a charade." Dean turned around to look at his mother.

"Yes. The school doesn't exist; it was only an excuse for Adler. One of our people would pick you up from our house, pretending to be from the school and you'd have thought I believed you're there. I would have sent Sam too, before his birthday. Bobby would have faked communication between us."

An uncomfortable silence took over.

"I caught Dean running away and told him to take me." Sam said after a while.

Mary nodded and patted Sam's head. "Don't worry about it, Sammy. It's my fault. I should have told you everything. But I was ashamed and scared."

"I can't forgive you for this, Mom. What you did was wrong. I hope you know that," Dean said.

"I understand, Dean. I can't change the past, but one day, hopefully you'll forgive me." Her eyes were getting wet and she walked to the door. "I have to go. You two stay here and be good. Listen to Ellen and Bobby, they'll tell you everything you need to know. I'll take care of everything in the school; you just take good care of my boys." The last part she addressed to Ellen and Bobby.

"Don't worry, Mary." Ellen said with a smile.

Dean watched his mother go. He didn't know when he would see her again, but at that moment, he was glad there would be some distance between them because he needed time to process the new information.

"I understand that you boys are upset with your mother, but it wasn't all her fault." Ellen said. "She had no power to do anything. Bobby and I are in charge and sometimes we have to make hard decisions."

"Cas. Take Sam and show him around. Dean will join you later." Bobby said.

Cas nodded, but Sam spoke. "Why can't I be here when you talk to Dean?"

"You're young. We don't wanna bother you with this," Bobby told him.

Sam opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Dean cut him off. "I'll tell you about it later. Be nice."

Sam gave him one of his bitch-faces, as Dean called it, but followed Cas out of the room. Dean sighed with relief. They didn't need Sam's rebellious side to spark now.

"I'm sorry we tried to trick you, Dean," Ellen said. "Your escape wasn't planned, but it's understandable why you did it."

"I met you once. I didn't trust you. To be honest, after all this, I still don't trust you." His blood was boiling and the urge to punch someone was getting stronger. He decided to sit down in hope he would calm down.

"I get it, boy. You're pissed. As you should be. But we have bigger issues."

Dean grimaced, but nodded. "Yeah, I'm pissed. If I could I would take Sam and leave, but I can't really do that, now can I." He crossed his arms. "Just tell me what you got about Dick."

"We're looking for a man who made the vaccine. His name's Crowley." Bobby said.

"Crowley? What kind of name is that? Is he like Madonna and Beyonce? Only one name." Dean asked, but his question was ignored.

"We had information about his whereabouts. This morning there was an attempt to catch him, but he escaped. Again."

"Isn't that risky? Dick could find out about MSO."

"Crowley ain't working for Dick anymore. He bailed after making the vaccine." Bobby walked toward one of the cabinets in the office and took out a small pile of papers. "The documents you gave us were helpful, there's a lot of incriminating information about Roman's plans and details about the vaccine. But nothing about making a cure. Crowley is the only one who could do that."

"Of course he is." Dean muttered and then remembered something. "Why didn't my mom give you the documents?"

Bobby and Ellen shared a look before Bobby answered. "She was looking. I gave you that order so you'd feel involved. We never expected you'd find 'em."

Dean frowned. "Really, another lie? And you expect me to trust you. If you ever lie to me, I'm leaving. I don't want to live with liars," he spat out and clenched his fist.

"You have our promise."

Dean shook his head. "We'll see. What you got on Crowley, then?"

"Kevin Tran, his assistant turned guinea pig escaped and gave us every piece of information he had. He's hiding in one of our safe houses now. Poor kid was tortured in every way." Ellen sighed. "He knows a lot about Crowley's way of thinking and his tactics. We're close to catching him. Crowley's smart, but he can't run forever."

"We're also in a contact with other countries. UK, France, Germany. They should help. Roman's in contact with Russians, so we have to be careful of that alliance. We don't want him to start a third world war."

"War? You think he's gonna start a war?" Dean said. "He can't do that."

"He can if he has an army of obedient soldiers and a bunch of folks who don't complain about the thing he does. It would be easy to attack Europe- from both sides if Russia allowed it- and distribute the vaccine to those people to." Bobby said.

"Hopefully it won't happen at all. But other countries could definitely help us bring Roman down. Having allies is excellent progress." Ellen smiled. "But don't worry about that now. Go find your brother. Cas will show you your new room."

Dean nodded and left the room. He was angry, confused and tired. Everything seemed like a horrible nightmare and he took a deep breath. He needed to find his brother. Sam always had an ability to calm him down when he felt like this.

When he closed the doors behind him, he realized that he had no idea where Sam and Cas were. He vaguely remembered the way to the operation room so he hoped he would find them there. Or maybe Charlie would be there and she could help him. Looking around as he walked, Dean realized he had to learn to navigate through those hallways; after all, he had to live there from now on.

He came to the operation room and was once again amazed with everything there. From behind one of the computers, he saw red hair peeking. Charlie noticed him when he reached the desk and she enveloped him in a hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Charlie," Dean said after Charlie pulled away.

"I saw you and Sam coming on the security camera, so I told Cas to go meet you, but I had no idea your mom was involved." She looked at him with sympathy in her eyes. "Cas and Sam told me what has happened. You must be shocked and angry. Sam was, too," she told him sadly, but then she smiled. "Cas showed Sam around and his mind was blown. His mouth was a big 'O' when he came here."

"My mind was blown too. This place is awesome." He grinned. "But do you know where they went? I need to talk to Sam."

Charlie nodded, "I'll take you there; just give me a moment to finish something here." She sat back and started typing.

Dean decided to inspect the books more carefully while he waited. He walked around the room, not really paying attention to his surroundings, so it wasn't a surprise when he crashed into someone.

"Watch where you're going, dude." A blonde girl he had bumped into glared at him.

"Hey, sorry about that," he said. "Are you Joanna? Ellen's daughter." She seemed familiar even though it had been a long time since he saw pictures of the Harvelle family.

"It's Jo." she eyed him quickly. "You must be Dean. You didn't obey a simple order."

"Wow. Everyone here is so well informed," Dean spat out. "My order wasn't _simple, _it was stupid. Don't talk about things you don't understand." He was getting tired of people judging him.

Jo's eyes widened and she was about to answer, but Charlie came between them and threw her arms around their shoulders.

"Come on, calm down. Let's go and find Cas and Sam." She let her arms fall and she walked away. Dean and Jo followed without a word.

"You'll like it here. I'm sure," Charlie told him once they stopped in front of his and Sam's new room. She knocked, but walked in without waiting for an answer.

The room was bigger than his room back at the house and it had two double beds on either side and a desk opposite the door. On one bed sat Sam and on the other one sat Cas and a boy who looked Sam's age or a bit younger.

"We were waiting for you," Cas said. "Dean, this is my brother Alfie."

Dean walked toward the bed and crouched beside Alfie. He shook the boy's hand and gave him a small smile. "Nice to meet you." He looked at Cas who signed his words to Alfie.

Alfie looked back at Dean and smiled shyly before signing back.

Cas flushed and looked at the floor. "He said he's happy to meet you too."

"Lying is a sin Cas," Charlie interjected. "Alfie said that he's happy to finally meet you because Cas talks about you all the time."

Dean smirked and looked at Cas. "I'm flattered. Really."

Cas seemed flustered. "It's not all the time."

Everyone laughed and they settled in the room where their chatting continued for a while. It helped Dean calm down a bit. They talked until Charlie announced that she had to go. Jo followed her and Cas said that he and Alfie should go too, because they had a lecture early in the morning.

"Lecture?"

"Yes. We have a few teachers here. It's like being home-schooled. But we also have physical training in the gym. I believe you and Sam will get your schedule tomorrow." Cas smiled. "Did you think you'll escape school here?"

Dean shrugged and returned his smile. "I didn't really think about it." He walked Cas and Alfie to the door. Before they left, he leaned toward Cas and whispered, "Can I see you later? I have to talk to Sam, but I wanna talk with you too."

"Alright. I'll meet you in half an hour in the operation room."

When they left, Dean turned to Sam.

"How are you doing, little brother?" Dean sat beside Sam.

"Okay. I'm still surprised about mom. Can you believe it?"

"No, I can't. But we have to move on and deal with it. I'm furious, but I'm not going to hate her for her actions. There are things to worry about right now."

"It's terrible what she did. But I think she never wanted us to be hurt." Sam yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was pretty late and the day had been rough for both of them. "How did the talk with Bobby and Ellen go? What did they tell you?"

Dean filled him in and told him not to worry. Sam looked like he wanted to argue, but tiredness stopped him and he went to bed.

Dean got ready for his meeting with Cas. He even managed to find a bathroom in the maze of hallways. Well, Charlie did give him instructions earlier, but it still wasn't easy. He smiled at the thought of her. They both shared a love for Star Trek and that made her awesome in Dean's book. Jo, on the other hand, wasn't very fond of Dean, but he thought he could make her like him. She did seem okay, a little angry at the world, but that was understandable.

But it was Cas he liked the best, not that he would admit it. There was just something about him that entranced Dean. They'd had a rocky start, but Cas had proven himself when he'd helped Dean even though it meant trouble for him. Dean owed him for that.

The operation room was empty, unsurprisingly, because it was after midnight. Dean browsed through the bookshelves while he waited for Cas. A few minutes later he heard footsteps approaching.

Cas stood behind him. He'd changed the tight black long-sleeved shirt and black cargo pants he'd worn before for a regular t-shirt and sweatpants. There were bags under his eyes and he looked as exhausted as Dean felt.

"Hey, Cas. You look beat. You should go to bed. We can talk tomorrow."

"Don't be ridiculous. I've survived worse."

Cas walked away and Dean hurried to catch up with him. They entered one of the many rooms in the bunker; it was big, but not as big as the operation room. It had TV, games and even a pool table.

"This is our 'fun room'. For relaxation." Cas sat on the couch and patted the spot beside him.

Dean plopped next to Cas and looked around, "It does look fun."

Cas chuckled. "You wanted to talk about something?"

Dean sighed and leaned back on the couch. "Nothing particular. It's just these past weeks have been rough and I'm worn-out. Like, how do you manage it? How do you deal with everything? I mean, the world is a fucked up place right now. And you, you look calm most of the time. How?"

"I have my brother. I think he's the one keeping me sane. I must take care of him. I am not calm, Dean. I'm afraid. But I have to try and do something."

Dean stared at him while he talked and gave him a slow nod when he finished, but didn't say anything for a while.

"Were you in any trouble? You know, for giving me the location of the bunker."

"Not yet. Maybe they forgot."

"Maybe. And Ellen doesn't really look like an angry person."

Cas laughed, "You should see her when she's yelling at Bobby. She can be scary," Cas' eyes softened when he smiled, "But she's amazing and caring."

"She's family."

"Yes, exactly. All of these people are my family." He smiled sadly. "They're better than my real family. Especially my mother," Cas stopped talking, lost in thoughts.

"You said something like that already. About your mother. Did she, um, hurt you?"

Cas pressed his lips into a firm line. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push."

"No, I'm sorry. It's- it's a sore subject."

"I get it. I don't like talking about my dad either. He wasn't the father of the year, to be real."

"Oh. From what Sam told me I assumed you got along with him."

"Mostly, yes. But in the last few months we barely talked. I was angry, he was angry. We said some awful things." Dean sighed. "But, I found a message he wrote to me before he died. He said he was sorry."

"What did you- you said you don't talk about it, but if you want to tell-"

Dean cut him off. "It's okay, man. I can tell you. He wasn't home very often 'cause of his job, you know. One day he gave us a surprise visit and caught me making out with my boyfriend in our living room." Dean forced out a bitter laugh. "He wasn't a huge homophobe, but I guess it was one thing not really minding someone else's business and another thing knowing that your son is doing the same. I came out as bisexual to mom and Sam months before. They were totally okay with it, but with Dad it never came up, mostly 'cause he was never home, you know. When he caught us, he threw Aaron out on his ass."

"That's terrible. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Dean shrugged. "I guess he did accept me in the end. He probably realized there are worse things happening than me liking dick." He suddenly laughed. "Or that there is a worse Dick to like."

Cas huffed a laugh. "I'm sure he would've accepted you anyway. He wasn't a bad man, I think, from what Bobby told me."

"I guess." He said. "Aaron left me though. He said he couldn't deal with angry dads with guns."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone else."

Dean hummed. "What about you?"

Cas rubbed his neck and blushed. "I'm not very good with people. I've never been in a relationship."

"There's still time. You just have to wait till you meet the right girl."

"Or a guy. I don't care about gender."

"Even better," Dean said. A small part of Dean's mind cheered at the new information, but he pushed those thoughts away. He wanted to talk with Cas more, but when he yawned for the tenth time, Cas said they should go to bed.

They walked to their rooms, their shoulders bumping. Dean watched Cas out of the corner of his eye. If he was honest with himself, Dean would be already charming his way to Cas' heart if this were a normal situation. But what they had was far from normal and he didn't want to make things awkward between them so he would have to settle for friendship.

"Where's your room?" Dean asked when they stopped in front of his room.

"I'll show you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I'll ask Bobby if I can spend the day with you tomorrow to show you around. This bunker is very big; you can easily get lost."

"That'd be awesome. Thanks, Cas," Dean smiled.

They said goodnight and Cas left. Inside his room Dean was met with Sam's light snoring. He shook his head with a smile and went to sleep as well. It had been a long day.

—

The next day, Dean and Sam got their schedules and soon they found themselves adjusting to their new lives. They met other people living in the bunker and they learned the bunker's arrangement and the placement of the more important rooms. Dean even started to distinguish all the hallways- he was proud of his skill, though Sam thought it was hilarious.

The lectures they had weren't school, but they were a good replacement. The residents who weren't field agents taught different subjects using the many books in the bunker and their own knowledge. Younger kids like Sam and Alfie had more subjects than the older ones. Dean had only a few of the more important subjects like Math and English while the rest of the day belonged to training.

He was good a good shot- his dad had taught him when he was younger- and he thought he'd do well with hand-to-hand until his first sparring session with Jo. His body hurt for a week. After that, he pushed himself to become better. Jo was an excellent teacher and he followed her tips, though he would never admit it.

In those few weeks they managed to strike a friendship of some kind. Dean tried to apologize for whatever he did to offend her and she punched him for his trouble and she herself apologized too. After that she stopped glaring at him like he was responsible for everything bad in the world and they started talking during their fighting practice. Dean counted it as a win when Jo smiled at him one day when he walked to their sparring spot.

He grinned back at her, "You should smile more. It makes you look less dangerous. You'd catch your enemies off guard."

Her smile turned threatening. "Please, Winchester. I don't need to smile to catch someone off guard."

He nodded and opened his mouth to answer, when he saw Cas entering the room. At Dean's wave, Cas joined them.

They exchanged small smiles. "Hey, Cas. I thought you had Math now."

"We have a problem with Sam. He yelled at Bobby, insisting he should train too, so we sent him to his room. I hoped you could talk to him and calm him down."

Dean rubbed his neck. "Shit, I'm sorry, Cas. He can be stubborn when he wants to. Jo, can we skip sparring today?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll kick your ass tomorrow." She smirked.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." He winked at her and waved before following Cas out of the gym.

"You and Jo are getting along," Cas said.

"Yeah, we're good. I mean, we didn't have a good start, but she just couldn't resist my charm." Dean smiled and winked at Cas who rolled his eyes.

When they got to the room they said goodbye and Cas left with a short "Good luck".

"Hey, wait," Dean yelled after Cas. "It's movie night tonight. Don't forget."

"Like that's possible. Between you and Charlie reminding me, I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to."

They shared a last smile and Dean entered the room. Sam lay on his bed. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing too fast to be asleep.

"Hey, Sammy. What's up?"

"Did Cas ask you to talk to me?" Sam grumped.

"Yeah, he did. Are you okay?"

"No, I want to train, Dean." Sam sat up.

"You are too young." Dean said, but Sam gave him a sharp glare, "Look, I can help you in our free time. We can train together, for self-defense only, okay?"

"Fine." Sam said after a while, probably realizing that was the best deal he could get.

"I'm not the one who made the rules. They suck, I know, but it's best if we don't argue. Anyway, it's not like there's gonna be any need for fighting. When MSO locates Crowley, he'll tell them the cure and that's it. All done. We can go home and forget about all of this."

"You think it's going to be that simple, Dean? It's never that simple."

"Trust me, Sam. We are in the safest place in the world. Everything's gonna be fine," Dean said firmly, "Now let's go back to the business. What do you have now? Biology?"

"Yeah. Ugh, it's so boring."

Dean laughed. "Sorry, dude. You'll have to deal."

"What about you?"

"Well, I told Jo I'd skip sparring today, so I'm free. Maybe I'll find Cas to tell him everything's good."

Sam smirked. "Yeah, that's why you want to find Cas. Sure."

Dean rolled his eyes. It hadn't taken long for Sam to notice Dean's crush and he'd used every chance he got to tease Dean about it. It didn't bother Dean too much; after all he probably deserved it, because he did the same to Sam whenever the situation was reversed. "Shut up," was usually Dean's only reply.

After the incident, Dean and Sam began training together every other evening. Sam was a good fighter, but Dean hoped he would never have to use his skills.

Soon it was the beginning of May and Sam's birthday. Mary sent him a few books as a present through Cas and a letter to both of them. Enough time had passed for Dean to think about his mother's actions. He'd decided to forgive her because he realized how stupid it'd be not to, considering the happenings in the outside world. He'd already lost his father and losing her too, would break him, no matter what she had done. Besides, he hadn't seen her since the day they got to the bunker and he missed her. She was his mother after all.

The rest of Sam's birthday was spent watching movies and enjoying a small party with the gang- Charlie, Jo, Cas and Alfie. They ate pizza that Dean and Cas had made earlier that day and a cake baked by Ellen. Ash joined them later, bringing a new video game that Charlie and Sam immediately started playing. They had fun and all of them forgot their problems for a while.

After that, time elapsed and June rolled around. Dean continued training with Sam and Jo and studying. Ellen insisted that they should have a few tests so their lectures wouldn't be pointless.

The gang spent most of their free time together, but sometimes they split- it started when Dean and Charlie overdid with their geeky conversations and everyone left. So sometimes Dean hung with Charlie alone, and sometimes with others.

When he was alone with Cas, they usually watched movies or discussed books. Cas showed him the observatory and it became their spot where they talked and shared stories- nothing serious, they stuck with funny and happy memories. Dean cherished those moments because he got to know Cas better.

Sometimes when Jo was busy, Cas would be his sparring partner. Dean liked that the best; the constant physical contact with Cas was thrilling every time.

Cas was good, probably as good as Jo, but Dean supposed he went easy on him while Jo didn't.

"I'm not going easy on you, Dean," Cas insisted after Dean brought it up during their latest sparring session. "I'm not as well-trained as Jo. She's been practicing martial arts since she was ten."

Dean hummed in agreement even though he wasn't completely convinced. Especially because he didn't manage to pin Cas down as easy as he did the other times. But when he did, he grinned at him triumphantly.

"See, I can beat you without you letting me win."

"This isn't about winning, Dean. And I wasn't letting you win," Cas said from his position beneath Dean. He didn't make any move to get away, probably waiting for Dean to let him go.

Dean had other plans, though. "Why was it harder for me to pin you down today, then? After I told you my theory, hmm?"

"Maybe you were distracted before." Dean didn't get any time to ask more questions as Cas pushed him and rolled them over. He held Dean's arms above his head and smirked. "You talk too much."

Dean struggled for control, but Cas was stronger than he looked. He hooked his legs around Cas' and pushed until Cas was on his back. Cas was still holding his hands and their faces were inches apart. Dean wanted nothing more than to lean down and close that distance. Heat shot through Dean's body- their legs were tangled and eyes locked. They stared without moving until a fake cough broke in. They looked up to see Charlie and Jo smirking at them.

"Is this how your sparring always goes?" Jo asked while Dean and Cas got up.

"Are you practicing how to seduce your enemy?"

"Or stare at them lovingly until they surrender?" Both Jo and Charlie giggled.

Dean glared at them, but he felt his cheeks heating up. He glanced at Cas to see him blushing too. And damn, he was cute. He cleared his throat. "What do you want anyway?"

"Mom and Bobby have a lead on Crowley. There will be a meeting in an hour."

Dean nodded and started to walk toward the showers. He heard Cas following him and Charlie yelling, "Use a condom."

He dared to look at Cas who was avoiding his eyes. After a few months of knowing Cas, they had become good friends- best friends even. But in some moments, like this one, the butterflies in his stomach were having the wildest party of their lives and his heart beat faster than after half an hour of running. There was an invisible rope pulling him toward Cas and electricity almost visibly sparked between them.

Cas was attractive, that went without saying, but he was also smart, funny and caring, especially toward Alfie. Dean suspected his crush was developing and turning into something bigger. He had never felt that way, not even with Aaron or Lisa, his two most serious relationships.

He was sure that whatever he was feeling, Cas felt it too- he could see it in his eyes- but neither of them made any move. It scared Dean to think about starting something in their current situation when way more important matters occupied their minds. But once this was over, Dean swore he'd ask Cas out and take him on the best date ever. He'd make it special, because Cas was inexperienced.

Dean sighed. Fantasies would lead him nowhere. He should focus on other things, like Crowley and ending this shit.

—

After an hour, Dean walked into an already full operation room. It had been changed for the meeting. The tables were pushed aside and chairs were set in the middle. He recognized a few agents in the room, like Rufus, Victor and Jody, but most of the others were new faces. Not all of the agents stayed in the bunker; they just came when they were needed. He looked around for Cas or Charlie and saw his mother entering the room. She didn't notice him until he was a few steps away from her.

Dean had read every message she'd sent them through Cas, but hadn't written any of his own. Sam had, but Dean hadn't known what to write. He was always better at talking.

Mary's eyebrows rose. "Dean. How are you?" She asked carefully.

"Hey, mom. I'm good." He smiled and Mary looked relieved.

"I'm glad. I talked to Sam and I would like to talk with you, too."

"Okay. We can talk after. Do you know what this is about?"

"I have some ideas. Let's just wait and see."

Dean smiled and hugged her. "I missed you, mom."

"I missed you too, honey." She cradled his head and kissed his forehead.

They pulled apart and someone called Mary. She left him with a small smile. Dean caught sight of his friends and slowly made his way toward them. Cas noticed him first and nodded in greeting. When Dean got closer, they shared a small smile before others realized he was standing beside them.

"Hey, Dean. We saved you a seat." Charlie gestured at the free chair.

"Thanks," Dean said as he sat. "When is this going to start?"

"In a minute. We're waiting for Mom and Bobby to figure their shit." Jo shook her head. "Whenever there's a meeting like this, they argue about who'll do the talking."

"Ellen always wins," Cas added with a smirk.

"Of course she does. We Harvelle women don't give up until we have it our way." Jo smirked and dramatically threw her hair back.

All of them laughed until they were shushed by one of the agents sitting in front of them. At that moment Bobby and Ellen walked into the room.

"Sit down, people. And be quiet," Bobby said and shared a nod with Ellen.

"We found Crowley."

Silence prevailed in the room while everyone waited for Ellen to continue.

"He is hiding in an abandoned warehouse near Denver. He's under surveillance by our team. We also talked with our allies in France and they are sending help. This is very important. Crowley is our only hope and we can't lose him," Ellen took a deep breath and continued, "We'll choose the best agents here and tomorrow morning we'll join the rest of our team there. Crowley has security, but we'll easily outnumber them."

Someone in the front row asked, "How many of us will go?"

"I think twenty people is enough."

"How will we proceed after?" Another agent asked.

"We'll bring Crowley here and interrogate him until he gives us the cure. After that, with the support of our allies, we'll start healing people and eventually remove Roman from his position. We have enough evidence against him."

Dean looked around the room: there was relief on people's faces, but some held doubt too. The same doubt Dean himself felt. Could it really be that easy? If they'd had so much trouble catching Crowley before, why would that change now? Dean decided not to hope until they had Crowley detained.

The meeting lasted half an hour more; they discussed all possible scenarios for the mission and Bobby and Ellen called the agents they'd chosen for the task. Dean wasn't as shocked as he probably should have been when they called Mary, but it alarmed him. Before that, the mission wasn't his personal concern, but now there was a risk of losing his mother. He sighed. Sam would be pissed when he found out.

When everything was finished Dean tried to find Mary in the crowd, but she was nowhere to be found. He said goodbye to the others and went to see Sam. Mary probably was there, telling Sam the news.

After he'd finally managed to leave the room, Dean walked toward the room he shared with Sam. On his way, Dean checked the 'fun room' in case Sam was there with the other kids who were too young for the meeting. There was no sign of him. Dean sighed and headed toward their bedroom, whistling quietly. Suddenly, a loud alarm shrieked, and Dean heard people begin to shout. He ran back to the operation room.

Everyone yelled and screamed and bumped into him while he tried to find his friends.

"Dean!" He turned around to see Jo and Cas walking towards him.

"What the fuck is happening?"

"Dick found us. His people surrounded the bunker," Jo told him.

"I have to find Sam."

"Some agents were sent to find the children. They will take care of them. We have to stay here," Cas said and when Dean shot him a look, he added, "I know, Dean. I want to find Alfie too, but we'd just make it worse. Trust me."

Cas' eyes were filled with sympathy and understanding, so Dean gave him one firm nod. "What do we have to do?"

Cas opened his mouth to respond, but Bobby's voice cut him off trying to shush everyone in the room. Bobby spoke on the microphone, so everybody could hear him- there were speakers all over the bunker. When the room went quiet enough, Bobby continued talking.

"They didn't get in yet, but we got to be ready. Grab your weapons and be prepared to use them. They haven't found our emergency garage door, so we're going to use that to escape. First the children, then the adults. We have ten vans and I gave ten agents directions to three different safe houses. They will all leave at the same time, so don't worry. We'll fight only if we have to."

Dean saw everyone taking out guns and knives. He looked at Cas and Jo; Cas shrugged, but Jo took out a small knife from the sheath around her left ankle. Both Dean and Cas raised their eyebrows and Jo smirked. "It's good to be prepared. C'mon."

"We don't have any weapons," Dean said.

"Hopefully we won't need them," Cas pushed Dean through the crowd in the direction of the garage.

The garage was crowded with everyone looking panicked and lost and it was much bigger than Dean had thought; it had a whole hidden complex he didn't know existed until now. They walked there and Dean saw a group of kids getting into one of the vans. He saw Alfie and he caught sight of Sam's fluffy brown hair, but it was too late: the door of the vehicle closed and it drove towards the gates where already two vans were parked in a line, waiting for permission to leave.

Rufus saw them and motioned them to get in the next one. All of the vans were the same; no windows and enough space for five to six people. Inside sat Jody and Charlie who smiled when she saw them, but the smile soon disappeared from her face. Jody greeted them, but otherwise stayed quiet.

"I'm so glad you're here. I thought I was gonna be stuck with people I didn't know. Well, except Jody and Victor," Charlie said.

"Victor is here?" Asked Dean.

"Yeah, he's driving." She tried to smile, but it didn't work so she just kept fidgeting in her seat.

"Are you okay?" Jo asked before Dean got a chance.

Charlie nodded and gave a little smile which Jo returned. Jo took one of Charlie's hands and squeezed it gently. They kept talking quietly to themselves so Dean turned his attention to Cas. Even though Cas had told him not to worry about Sam, Dean was sure Cas worried about his own brother too. He gently nudged Cas' shoulder and Cas met his eyes. Dean raised his eyebrows, silently asking if Cas was okay. Cas watched him for a second before raising his shoulders in a slight shrug and giving Dean one of his tiny smiles. Dean smiled back, more for Cas' sake than because he felt like it.

Rufus joined them and closed the door behind himself while Victor started the engine.

"Do you know where my mom is?" Jo asked Rufus.

Rufus nodded. "She is in one of the two last vans. Yours too," he told Dean. "The gates are gonna open as soon as everyone is in."

"Is my brother going to the same place we are?" Dean asked.

Rufus shrugged. "Sorry, kid. I don't know. It depends on which van he got in. Every driver got their directions. So if his driver got the same ones as Victor then you'll see your brother soon."

"And if not?"

Rufus looked at him, but didn't say anything. He didn't have to because Dean knew the answer. There was a possibility he wouldn't see Sam for a long time. Beside him, he heard Cas sigh sadly and Dean realized that Cas knew too. Dean patted Cas' knee and left his hand there, hoping Cas would find some comfort in the touch. At that moment a loud noise came from outside and they started moving.

_This is it, _thought Dean.

It was difficult to keep track of what was going on outside. Dean knew when they exited the garage because he felt the van driving on lumpy ground. More than that he couldn't know, but he guessed Dick's people hadn't caught them because they weren't stopping.

After a few minutes of driving nothing bad happened and Dean started to hope it was going to work. Of course, in that moment everything went to hell.

Somewhere behind them, a loud explosion burst and the car swayed a bit. Rufus and Jody grabbed their guns, but the van didn't stop.

"It wasn't close to us. They probably hit one of the last vans," Rufus said. "There's nothing we can do."

Dean was shocked and after a moment he realized something.

"My mom," he said at the same moment Jo did. When he looked at her, she was wearing a tortured expression that probably mirrored his own.

There had to be something they could do.


	5. Chapter 5

"Rufus, get out of my way." Jo pointed her finger at Rufus. "I'm getting out. My mom is out there."

"We can't risk it. I'm sorry, but they are on their own now," he said.

"I swear to go God, Rufus if you don't let me out of this van, there will be hell to pay."

"I think you should let her go if she wants," Cas said even though he looked as against it as Rufus. "If all of us can't go at least she should."

"Me too," Dean said. "My mom is there too. Besides, I'm not letting Jo go alone."

Rufus let out an annoyed sigh and shook his head. "You damn kids. This van ain't stopping. Those were the orders. If you wanna go, you have to jump out. There's no other way."

"It could be dangerous, but it's the best option you got," Jody added. "Please, don't get yourself killed."

Rufus got up and opened the door on the back of the van. They were still in the woods and another van was driving about ten feet behind them. The jump was going to be tricky.

Rufus gave his gun to Dean. "You should have something to protect yourself."

Jo and Dean walked toward the door. Dean threw a look at Cas whose lips were pursed tightly and his eyes looked sad, but he sent a small smile to Dean. Charlie wished them good luck and Dean glanced at Jo. Their eyes met and they nodded at each other.

In the next moment they jumped out. Even though the van wasn't speeding, it hurt as hell when Dean landed on the hard ground. He quickly rolled over to avoid getting hit by a van, when the other vehicle passed, Dean ran to Jo, who rolled over to the other side of the road. His leg hurt, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Jo was in better shape than he was. It didn't surprise him, she was a tough girl, probably trained to jump from moving vans. They noticed another car coming towards them and they ran in the direction it was coming from.

They ran for a good while and three more vans passed by them. If Dean counted well that left two more because they had been in a fourth vehicle in the line back in the bunker. Dean smelled smoke. A few feet away red flames flaunted between trees, so they hurried that way. When they got closer they heard gunshots and yelling.

A man jumped in front of them- where he came from, Dean didn't know. He pounced on them- Jo moved away in time, but Dean was thrown to the ground. He winced in pain before he felt more pain when the man's fist collided with his face. Jo grabbed the man's shirt and pulled him away and Dean quickly got up. He punched the guy in the face and he hoped it hurt like his own face was hurting. The guy fell down and Jo kicked him until he lost consciousness. They left him there and ran in the direction of the noise.

Mary was shooting at Dick's people with Ellen and Bobby by her side. Three other agents surrounded them- Dean didn't know them. They were hunched behind their van.

The other van was the source of the fire and when Dean inspected it closely his stomach turned up - there were bodies all around it, they were red, unrecognizable and dead. They were dead.

Jo and Dean sneaked up to them, which turned to be a bad idea when they found themselves with three sets of guns aimed at them.

"Dean." "Joanna Beth."

Great, they were being shot at while having to deal with angry moms.

"Yell at us later. We have other problems right now," Jo said and took out a gun from a bag that lay on the ground.

Mary and Ellen looked pissed, but the sound of gunshots stole their attention. They returned to shooting and Dean and Jo joined them.

Dean shot two men, one in the arm and one in the shoulder, but both of them stayed alive. He didn't want to kill them- some of them were probably under Dick's control and they weren't responsible for their actions.

Two bullets whizzed by Dean's head and his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He turned in the direction of the shooter and pulled the trigger. The man fell and Dean gasped. He didn't want to do it, but the fear won. He killed someone.

After a few moments of him standing there, bullets flying around him, he was pulled from his trance. Mary pushed him into a van.

"We're going to escape," she said.

Two agents watched their back as they got in the van, but before he could follow, one of them was shot. His head blew up and his blood burst everywhere- Dean felt a few drops land on his face, but he was too shocked to care.

The last agent hurried inside and they drove away. Bobby and the other agent continued shooting until they put enough distance between them and Dick's people. They closed the door and Dean let out a sigh.

"They won't follow. They lost too many people," Bobby said after everyone caught their breath.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"They probably heard the vans. We were getting out of the bunker and the other van was already out." Bobby sighed, "We were a few feet away from the bunker when they cut off the first van, so we stopped before we got too close to them. Then we heard the explosion." Bobby rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

"Everyone was dead when we got there. Some of them got out of the van and avoided the explosion, but they were shot soon after. We tried to kill as many as we could so we could escape," Ellen said.

"If they blew up that van why hadn't they tried to blow yours too?" Jo asked.

Ellen exchanged a look with Bobby and then look sadly at Jo. "That was our bomb. They probably tried to defend themselves, but something went wrong and they-" Ellen sighed. "Listen, honey. That bomb was something Ash worked on. He- he was in the van, sweetie."

Jo sucked in her breath, "W-what?"

"I'm sorry," Ellen said threw her arms around Jo, who sobbed quietly in her mother's embrace.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

—

The night loomed over them when they reached their destination. Dean eagerly got out and stretched his legs and arms. The van was uncomfortable for long rides- and they had spent at least six hours in it.

His leg still hurt from the earlier jump and his face was probably bloody and swollen. He helped Mary with the few bags from the van and he looked around when they got closer to the building.

The safe house was just a huge house in the middle of the woods. Trees were densely arranged so it gave Dean hope that Dick wouldn't find them soon. In front of the house, two vans were already parked.

Dean hoped Sam was inside. He glanced at Mary, who didn't look angry anymore, just sad. He knew this wasn't easy for her either. It wasn't easy for anyone.

Bobby had a key and he struggled with the lock for a moment before unlocking it. When they finally entered the house, they were met with the gun barrel.

"Put that gun down, idjit," Bobby grumbled.

"Sorry. We're just being more cautious than usual," Rufus said after he lowered his gun.

He led them to a big room which looked like a living room- it had a couch, TV and coffee table- it seemed normal. Dean saw familiar faces like Charlie and Cas and some less familiar- a few agents he only saw once or twice in passing. But no Sam.

Charlie walked toward them and threw her arms around Jo.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said with a smile, but when she saw Jo's expression, the smile was replaced with a frown. "You _are_ okay, right?"

Jo shook her head and let out a shaky breath. "Charlie, Ash is dead, others too. It was terrible." She hid her face in a crook of Charlie's neck.

Charlie looked devastated- everyone did. Ellen began to explain what had happened. Many of them didn't know every agent that died, Dean didn't either, but this loss affected everyone.

"We used a different, longer route in case we were followed," Ellen finished.

Rufus walked towards the liquor cabinet. "I think we need this." He handed everyone a glass.

"You can't let them drink, they're kids," Ellen said.

"They've lost their friend. One drink won't harm them." He poured everyone a drink. "This is the best damn whiskey I know."

They sat there, quietly sipping their drinks, pulled deep into their thoughts. Dean didn't drink alcohol often, but he was still used to the burn in the throat, unlike Cas and Charlie who started coughing when they drank. He made a promise to himself that when this was over he would take them drinking. After a while, Bobby announced he had to make a call to other safe houses.

"Six agents who died were chosen to go after Crowley. Now we need a new plan," he said.

Before he left the room, Mary stopped him. "Please find out where Sam is. I want to know that he's in good hands."

Dean looked up at those words. He didn't think of that- he figured that there wouldn't be a way to find anything out about his brother and that he would have to deal with it whether he liked it or not.

Bobby nodded at Mary and walked out of the room. Mary sat beside Dean and put a hand on his knee.

"Don't worry about your brother. He isn't alone."

Dean nodded. "I know. He has Alfie at least. They are good friends." After meeting Alfie, Sam decided to learn sign language. Cas taught him whenever there was time and while Dean sometimes joined them, Sam was better at it, probably because he didn't get distracted by Cas' hands. Alfie appreciated what Sam was doing, so they hit it off pretty well. "They'll take care of each other. I just wish I could have said goodbye."

"I was with him when the alarms got off. We packed some of your stuff. I really thought we were going to be together. I told him not to worry." She blamed herself, Dean realized.

He put his arms around her. "Don't worry, Mom. Everything is going to be okay. Sam is capable of taking care of himself and he's smart. He'll be fine." He smiled and squeezed Mary's hand, "We'll be fine."

Mary returned the smile. "When did you become so grown up?"

Dean shrugged. "Does this mean you're not angry anymore?"

"I'm still angry. You could have gotten yourself killed. I just want you to be careful," she said and Dean promised he would try.

Bobby returned. "I heard from both of the houses. Everyone arrived without problems." He looked at Mary. "Your boy is in South Dakota. Pamela promised she'll take care of him."

Dean knew Pamela Barnes. She was nice and playful. He trusted her and when he looked at Mary she looked satisfied. His eyes then fell on Cas who looked worried, but when Dean caught his look, they shared a smile. He hoped that Cas had heard what he'd said to Mary earlier. Alfie and Sam had each other.

"Plan with Crowley is still on. We are the closest to the location. In the morning we're gonna go to join the team supervising him. The French will probably arrive soon too. Now, this isn't necessary, but I think all of us should go." Mary looked like she'd start protesting, but Bobby raised his hand to stop her. "Dean and Jo were great today and I'm sure Cas and Charlie would be too."

"I'm in," said Jo. Ellen glared at her, but Jo kept her eyes on Bobby.

"Great. What about you?" Bobby looked at Cas and Charlie.

Cas said yes and after few moments, Charlie gave a reluctant nod. Then Bobby's eyes fell on Dean and Dean nodded firmly. He didn't see a point in saying no- everyone was going and the situation had gotten more personal than before. Dean didn't know Ash for long, but he liked to think they were friends so Dean would do this for him.

"Excellent. After we pick Crowley up we'll go to our other bunker. They won't find us there easily."

Dean fought the urge to snort. "How do you know?" He asked. "The first bunker was supposed to be the safest place, yet they found us."

"They found us because of enhanced activity. A lot of agents were going in and out all the time. This time, once we're inside we're not going out until we have a cure."

"How long will that take?" Cas asked.

"It depends on how willing Crowley will be to cooperate," Bobby said gruffly, "Probably a few weeks."

Cas nodded, but didn't look satisfied with the answer.

"You should go clean yourself and get some rest," Mary told him.

Dean realized that his face was still a mess. There was probably dried blood all over him. "I don't have any clothes with me."

"There're spare clothes in the house. Some of it will fit you," Cas said, "Come on, I'll show you."

Dean stood up and followed Cas out of the room and then upstairs.

"My room has another bed. You can sleep there. I'll help you patch up," Cas told him after they found clothes for Dean.

"Thanks, Cas." Dean sent him a grateful smile.

He took a quick shower. When he got out of the bathroom, Cas led him to their new room. It was smaller than the room he shared with Sam at the bunker, but it didn't matter because they were staying for only a night. Dean put his dirty clothes on a chair and sat down on the bed. Cas brought a first aid kit and sat beside Dean.

"Where are you hurt?" He asked quietly.

"Mostly my face. This one guy really liked punching it." He tried to joke, but it didn't work. "My leg hurt too, from the jump, but it's not that bad anymore." Cas started cleaning the wounds on his face. He was gentle and Dean barely felt it. "You're very good at this. You could be a doctor."

He said it jokingly, but Cas flinched at his words. He shrugged when Dean looked at him questioningly. "I had a lot of practice. Many people thought that being deaf is a reason to mock someone. I made them think differently. Only sometimes I ended up hurt, so I had to patch myself up."

Dean stared at him in awe. Cas was a secret badass. When he told him just that, Cas chuckled.

"I know you're worried about Alfie, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

Cas nodded and smiled slightly. "I know, but I don't like when we're separated. He's my responsibility, but he can take care of himself. And he has Sam." He finished working on Dean's wounds and put away the kit. "I'm glad you're here. I mean Charlie and Jo are great, but, um, you're the best friend I've had in a very long time," he said while avoiding Dean's eyes.

Dean beamed. "You are mine too, Cas."

Cas looked up and grinned. They stared at each other for a few moments, until Cas looked away. "We could die tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know, Cas," he said and looked Cas in the eyes. "Are you scared?"

"Yes," Cas answered without thinking. "Are you?"

Dean averted his gaze from Cas. "Yeah," he whispered. It wasn't easy for him to admit it, but he was scared. He had been scared for a very long time. Most of the time he didn't know what the hell he was doing.

Cas must have noticed that he was uncomfortable because he took one of Dean's hands in his own and held it gently. "It's okay, Dean."

Dean nodded. "Thanks, Cas."

They didn't talk for a while, just sat there with Dean's hand in Cas' and their eyes locked. Cas softly rubbed his skin and it felt so good, Dean didn't want him to stop. His heart beat faster and he felt flutters in his abdomen. He wondered if Cas knew what he was doing to him and how badly Dean wanted to kiss him.

Cas looked away and blushed. "If I die tomorrow, I wouldn't like to be a virgin anymore."

Dean smirked. Maybe Cas did know what he was doing. "Cas. Are you giving me a 'last night on Earth' speech?"

"Is it working?"

Dean cupped Cas' chin and lifted his head. When their eyes met, he slowly leaned closer and pressed their lips together. It was a chaste kiss and Cas returned it, putting his hands around Dean's neck. Their lips moved together slowly. Dean nipped at Cas' lower lip and Cas imitated him, shooting pleasure through Dean's body. He tangled his fingers in Cas' dark locks. After what seemed like hours, Dean opened his mouth and licked Cas' upper lip. Cas gasped and Dean's tongue made its way inside. Cas moaned and tightened his grip around Dean's shoulders. Dean felt Cas' tongue slowly poking out and he let him in. They both moaned and Dean felt himself getting hard. He pulled away, but Cas followed him, joining their lips again. Cas put a hand on Dean's face and Dean winced in pain and pulled away completely.

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"It's okay. Just be careful."

They panted and smiled at each other until they caught their breath.

"Cas, if you don't wanna do anything else, it's okay."

"I want you," Cas said and lay down, pulling Dean with himself. Cas' eyes were clouded with lust and Dean was sure his own sent the same message. They kissed again and Dean pushed his hips down on Cas. He was rewarded with a moan and Cas pushing his own hips up. They began grinding against each other and Dean could feel Cas' hardness pressing into him. They shed their clothes quickly, barely pulling apart before their lips met again. Their naked bodies were pressed tightly together and they rubbed their erections. There was nothing chaste about what they were doing anymore.

Dean pulled away from Cas' lips and he kissed his neck instead. Cas must have liked it because he bared his neck to give Dean more access. He sucked and nibbled Cas' neck before moving lower. When he reached Cas' nipple he suckled it, gently at first, then harder when Cas took a hold of his hair and held his head in place. After a while he moved to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment.

Cas moaned and writhed beneath him. "Dean, please." His voice was gruff when he moaned Dean's name.

Dean looked up at him and his cock twitched at the sight. Cas was flushed from his face and all the way to his chest, he was breathing fast, his lips shaped a prefect 'O' and his eyes were closed in pleasure.

"Fuck, Cas. You're beautiful." Dean continued kissing his way down Cas' body. He licked Cas' muscular stomach, which earned him a short laugh. Dean moved lower to Cas' hipbones and bit playfully. Cas groaned and gently pushed Dean's head down. Dean chuckled and took Cas leaking cock in his hand. He stroked it a few times before leaning closer and licking the head. Cas moaned and his grip on Dean's hair tightened. After few kitten licks, Dean pulled away and looked up at Cas. "Is this what you want?"

Cas groaned in frustration. "Yes, god dammit. Stop teasing me." He guided Dean's head back to his cock.

Dean decided to give in and he wrapped his lips around Cas' cock. He took in as much as he could and stroked with his hand what he couldn't. He set up a rhythm and moved his head up and down, sucking and licking. Cas held his hands on Dean's head, but didn't try to push him further down. Dean tried to take more of Cas' cock in his mouth- he wasn't very experienced, but he wanted to make Cas feel good. When he got used to feeling Cas deep in his throat, he started enjoying it, especially because Cas' breathy moans were getting louder and it made Dean more confident in his skills.

"Dean, stop," Cas breathed out and tugged Dean's hair.

"What, why?" He thought Cas was enjoying it.

Cas pulled Dean up and kissed him hard before pulling away and looking Dean in the eyes. "I didn't want to come yet and you were making that impossible."

Dean blushed and smiled at Cas. "I'm glad you liked it," he said and rubbed his nose against Cas' cheek. "Do you want to, um, you know go all the way?"

"We don't have any lube, or condoms," Cas said and rolled them over. "But we can do other things." He kissed Dean's neck, sucking and biting, just as Dean did it to him. One of Cas' hands sneaked down between their bodies and gripped both of their cocks. They moaned in unison and crashed their lips again. Cas moved his hand faster and Dean thrust up into his hand. He put his own hand on Cas'. They moved faster, rubbed and ground their bodies against each other. They were joined from their toes to their lips. It felt amazing.

Cas laced the fingers of their free hands and laid them on the pillow beside their heads. They stopped kissing and stared into each other's eyes as they rutted together. Cas began to lose the rhythm of his thrusts and he let out a loud groan as his eyes shut closed and a hot white mess covered their hands and Dean's stomach. Dean slowed the movement of their hands while Cas recovered from his orgasm. When Cas' breathing decelerated, he removed their hands from his cock and tightly wrapped his own around Dean. There was nothing for Dean to do than lie there and enjoy while chanting Cas' name like a prayer.

Dean was close. He was in heaven- Cas plastered on top of him while his talented hand brought him closer to climaxing and his eyes were looking at him like he was something precious. Dean couldn't control his moaning which grew louder with every stroke of Cas' hand. The feeling of Cas' come drying on his body made him hot and close, but Cas growling, "Come for me," in his ear was what pulled him over the edge. His toes curled as he arched his back and let out a high pitched moan before he came all over Cas' hand.

"Cas. Cas. Cas." That was the only word he could say because only Cas was on his mind in that moment. He breathed quickly while Cas worked him through his orgasm. When they both regained their strength, Cas carefully got off Dean and took one of their boxers to clean them up before he collapsed beside Dean.

Dean turned to Cas and grinned. After Cas returned the smile, Dean laid his head on Cas' chest and felt Cas' arms enveloping him. "Good night, Cas."

Cas pressed a gentle kiss on top of his head and whispered, "Sleep tight."

It was warm and comfortable in Cas' embrace so Dean quickly fell asleep. The smile on his face followed him deep into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

The banging on the door wakened Dean, but he kept his eyes closed. He wasn't ready for the daylight yet. He recognized Jo's voice telling him he had fifteen minutes to get his ass downstairs. It looked like he overslept, but considering his activities the day before- especially his late night activities- it was justified. He smiled and moved his hand toward Cas, but he was met with cold sheets. His eyes flew open and he frowned. Cas wasn't in the room which disappointed Dean because he was looking forward to opening his eyes and meeting Cas' as they smiled at each other. Okay, so maybe Dean had a few fantasies about the perfect morning after, but that didn't matter at the moment. He didn't understand why Cas didn't wake him up. It would have been easier for him to get ready in time.

Dean slowly got up and put on some clothes before hurrying downstairs. He followed the sound of talking and entered the small kitchen which was joined with the dining room. There was a huge table in the room, and most of the agents were there already. His eyes fell on Charlie, who sat alone. He sat beside her and put a hand on her arm as he greeted her.

"There you are. Jo was getting impatient." She smiled. "I guess Cas wore you out last night." Charlie gestured at his neck where a hickey Cas gave him stood and indicated to everyone that he got lucky.

Dean blushed and looked down. He could feel a grin forming on his face. "Yeah, he did. We needed it after all this shit that happened."

Charlie nodded and her features darkened. "I still can't believe it, you know. Ash was my friend and now he's gone."

"I'm sorry-" he began, but Charlie shrugged him off.

"Let's talk about something else. Like you and Cas." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"There's nothing to talk about. Where is he anyway? And Jo?"

"They are getting food."

His stomach chose that moment to inform him that yes, food _was_ needed. Charlie let out a short laugh and informed him they were going to bring him food too. While waiting, Dean and Charlie chatted about unimportant things, seemingly ignoring everything serious around them.

Jo and Cas found them soon bringing plates with food. Dean once again became aware how hungry he was- last time he ate was before the yesterday's meeting in the bunker and that had been just chips, not a real food.

He grinned at them and pulled the chair next to him so Cas could sit there, but Cas didn't see it because he sat beside Jo who sat next to Charlie. He opened his mouth to ask Cas to change his seat, but Jo started talking to Charlie and delicious smell of the food in front of him hit his nostrils, so he decided not to say anything. After all, he wouldn't be able to talk while eating.

He ate while others talked about the plan for that day, but he didn't really pay any attention to what they were talking- they could give him a brief summary later.

When Dean was full he looked around to see Jo and Cas already gone. There was probably a bemused look on his face, because Charlie was looking at him with her eyebrow raised and a slight smirk.

"Welcome back. Dude, you were really hungry."

Dean rubbed his neck. "Yeah, sorry. Where did Cas go? I wanna talk to him."

"Mhm, sure. _Talk_," she said and added a suggestive wink. "They are packing supplies- food, clothes, weapons- those kind of things, for the new bunker. I think Cas is upstairs."

Dean gave her a grateful smile which she returned before he walked away. He found Cas fast when he got upstairs- he followed the thunk of something falling and a deep voice yelling, "God dammit." He smiled, full of affection for Cas. He entered the room where the source of the noise was and saw Cas surrounded by boxes and books spread all around the floor. He was trying to put the books in the one of the boxes.

"Let me help you with that." Dean crouched down to pick the books up and placed them in the boxes. When he looked up, Cas was observing him with wide eyes.

"Dean. Thank you." He hesitated, before continuing, "I was looking for something useful when I knocked down the boxes." Cas looked really torn about it which Dean found ridiculous and he chuckled.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. We'll put them back without a sweat." He smiled and looked at Cas who nodded and avoided his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I'm just distressed about today."

Dean didn't respond, because he knew how Cas felt. Even though he tried to ignore it, the fear was blooming in his chest- fear for his Mom, Sam, Cas and others, fear for himself. He didn't want to die, especially after last night when he discovered how good it felt being close to Cas, their bodies pressed together, no space between them. He felt his skin burning at the memory and he scolded himself- this was neither the time nor the place for that kind of thoughts. He glanced at Cas to make sure he didn't notice anything, but Cas was absorbed in his task. Dean smiled to himself. He was so lucky to meet Cas.

When every book had its own place in the box, Dean helped Cas arrange the boxes so they wouldn't get knocked down again. As soon as they set everything in order, Dean turned to Cas to see him busying himself with clothes in another set of boxes.

"Cas, could you please stop for a second. I wanna talk to you."

When Cas continued fumbling with clothes, folding them and putting them in one pile, Dean stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder, turning him around and forcing him to look at Dean.

"What's up with you? Are you ignoring me or what?"

"I must do this. We're leaving in an hour. This is my job."

Dean frowned. Cas was acting weird, but he didn't know what he had done to piss him off. "And you can't spare ten, hell even five minutes?" He winced when he realized he raised his voice and he noticed Cas doing the same. "Sorry. Didn't mean to yell," he muttered and glanced down at his feet.

Cas sighed, but didn't look up. "Please, Dean. Just leave me alone."

Dean raised his head, "Cas, if something's bothering you, you can tell me. You know that, right? We're friends." Cas pressed his lips tighter and Dean paused before speaking again, "And after last night-"

Cas' voice cut him off, "Last night meant nothing." It was like someone grabbed Dean's heart from his chest and then stepped on it. He opened his mouth to protest, but Cas kept talking. "I appreciate what you did. I needed some comfort and I heard that physical intimacy is helpful in that situation. But now I need to be alone." Cas gestured at the door and turned away, ignoring Dean's presence.

"Fine. Whatever." Dean stormed out. He couldn't believe what he heard. It had been just a pastime for Cas and Dean was dumb enough to believe there was something more. When he came downstairs, he made a beeline to the front door, ignoring Charlie when passed by her. He needed air and he needed to be as far away as possible from Cas. Outside he found a bench and sat down. It was chilly and he didn't have his jacket, but at that moment he didn't care. When he started shivering, he considered going inside, but then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and when he looked up he saw Charlie smiling at him.

"I brought you a jacket. It'd suck if you got sick now."

Dean took the jacket and put it on. "Thanks." His voice sounded like a broken mess to his own ears and to Charlie he must have sounded like a lost child crying for their mommy.

"What happened?" She sat beside him and put her hand on his where it was resting on the bench.

Dean felt the tears in his eyes and tried to will them away. He didn't want to cry. There was no reason to cry. "It's stupid. There are more important things happening."

"Bullshit. Something's up and you have to talk about it. Does it have something to do with Cas?"

"Yes," he shouted. "It has everything to do with Cas. I thought there was something there between us, you know, and last night was perfect. I felt happy even though the world is fucked up, but it turns out he doesn't care. It meant nothing." Lowering his voice, he tried to imitate Cas, but then he remembered the harsh words leaving those lips. He choked up and looked away from Charlie's surprised face.

"Are you sure? Cas cares about you. It doesn't seem like him to say something like that."

"Well, he did. I feel so stupid for even hoping-" He sighed and rubbed his eyes. There's no time for dwelling, he would have to suck it up.

Charlie rubbed his hand gently. "Give him some time. Maybe he's confused or worried about Alfie or scared or, um, something. After we get Crowley, you two will talk and settle this. It'll be okay."

He wanted to believe her, but Cas' words still burned in his head. For Charlie's sake, he forced a smile. "Okay. When are we leaving?"

Charlie didn't look convinced, but thankfully she didn't press any further. "Fifteen minutes, I think."

Dean nodded. "Um, so what's the plan? I wasn't really listening."

She laughed. "Yeah, I noticed. Well, we'll meet with our agents in their shelter. The French are there already- Bobby got a call from them- and then we capture Crowley, take him to the bunker, find a cure and save the world."

"Just like that?"

"Duh."

Dean shook his head, but couldn't help a smile forming on his face. Before either of them could say something, Jo called them over. "We're taking off. Hurry up."

They got up and hurried to the front of the house where the vans were parked. Dean saw Cas getting in one of the vans and Charlie and Jo were walking toward the same one, so he quickly told them that he was going to find his mom. Jo nodded and moved on, but Charlie shot him a worried glance which he shrugged off. He saw his mom in the crowd and walked towards her. Mary smiled when she saw him and when her eyes fell on his neck, she raised an eyebrow in a silent question. He frowned and then remembered he was covered in the evidence of the last night's events.

"Forget it." The words came out harsher than he meant it, so he quickly added, "Please, mom. Can I drive with you?"

Mary's gaze softened and Dean knew she was concerned about him, but he hoped she wouldn't demand any answers. She must have presumed the direction of his thoughts because she simply nodded and ushered him in the direction of the van which fortunately didn't have Cas in it.

Soon after they settled in the van, Bobby and Ellen joined them. They were the last to get in and they set off. Bobby asked him why he was in there with them, but before he could come up with an answer, Mary shook her head and Bobby nodded in understanding, not questioning him anymore.

—

The drive passed quickly, at least for Dean, who was engrossed in his own thoughts while others discussed the plan. Dean managed to catch more important information: they were meeting the other team in a base camp they set up in the forest near the warehouse Crowley was hiding in. Tomorrow in the evening they were going to surround the warehouse and attack. Bobby seemed sure that it was better to go during the night because Crowley would be more vulnerable and there was less chance of outsiders noticing them. Dean kept quiet while they talked in detail about main entrance points and covering every possible exit Crowley could use to escape. All of them were confident that their numbers would be a huge advantage. If Dean's count was correct, there were 19 of them here and about five or six agents waiting for them, plus French people whose exact number Dean didn't know, but Bobby was convinced that it would be enough.

It was late afternoon when the van stopped and Dean hurried outside. Deep green forest encircled them and Dean was confused until he noticed a man standing by a tree nearby.

The man waited until they got closer before he spoke, "I'm Balthazar. I was sent to show you the way to the camp." He didn't look any older than Dean, but the way he held himself, tall and proud, told Dean he had done a lot of missions like this one. Or he was just an arrogant bastard.

"Bobby Singer." He shook hands with Balthazar. "The others will be here any minute."

Dean sighed. He forgot that he wouldn't be able to ignore Cas forever.

While they waited, Balthazar told them he was one of the French soldiers. They also learned it was a 15 minute walk to the camp, but it was impossible to go there with a vehicle.

In the distance he heard the sound of an approaching vehicle and turned his head in that direction. After it pulled over and people got out, Dean realized it wasn't Cas' van, but after he sighed in relief another one came and parked near them. Dean walked away and stood beside his mother. If he stuck by her side, he could delay seeing Cas. The anger and humiliation still consumed him and he didn't want to deal with the source of his pain.

Balthazar asked if everyone was there and when he got an affirmative nod from Bobby, he led them through trees and grass. Dean followed him closely, not once turning around to see a mess of brown hair and the pink lips pressed into a tight line.

Soon they got to a secluded valley and Dean caught a first glimpse of black military tents set up there. Balthazar led them to the center of the camp where he introduced Bobby to Gabriel, the leader of MSO's special team. They left to the main tent with Ellen and a few other agents. Dean looked at Mary, expecting her to go too, but she put a hand on his shoulder and led him in the direction of tents Balthazar showed them as free to use.

"Will you be okay if I leave you here alone?"

Dean rubbed his neck. "Yeah, Mom. I'm not five, I can take care of myself."

She raised an eyebrow, but left. To be honest, Dean would prefer company now, but he wasn't going to beg his mother to stay with him like he had when he was five and it was his first day in kindergarten; he remembered clenching her hand and not letting go, his eyes wet as he looked up at her. It was acceptable then, hell, most people found it cute, but he was a man now, not a little child. He thought about finding Charlie or Jo, but they were probably with Cas, so that was a big no too. Finally, he decided to take a nap, at least that would be useful. He went outside only to use the bathroom- behind a big tree- and then he lay down in a sleeping bag.

He felt someone shaking him and forced himself to open his eyes. Mary had a big grin on her face as she looked down at him.

"What?" He asked defensively, sitting up.

"You were drooling." She laughed when he quickly wiped his mouth. "You look peaceful in your sleep." She sighed. "If only you were like that when you were a baby. John and I lost so much sleep with you."

Dean felt his cheeks flushing. His mother always knew when to pick a moment to talk about his baby days. It was luck his friends weren't around. "Mom, please. You know I don't like when you talk about that."

Her smile only grew. "I'm your mother. It's my job. Anyway, there's dinner, if you're hungry."

Dean nodded and got up. After stretching his sore muscles, he carefully followed his mother out of the tent. He couldn't stay there forever.

His eyes quickly found Charlie, her bright hair was hard to miss, where she was talking to Jo. When he made sure that Cas wasn't anywhere near, he approached them.

"Hey, Dean. You done with hiding or what?" Charlie asked after he sat beside them on the ground.

He grunted. "I wasn't hiding, I was napping."

Charlie laughed and Jo rolled her eyes. Dean pouted at their reactions.

"Whatever you say. I'll bring you some food," Charlie said and before he could stop her she was gone.

"Don't worry about her. She wanted to stretch her legs anyway," Jo told him after he shot her a guilty look. "So, Charlie told me about you and Cas."

He groaned. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"He didn't want to, either. He didn't say a thing. But he looked guilty, so maybe-" Dean glared at her. "Okay. Do you wanna know what happened when you were sleeping?" When he nodded, she continued. "Bobby and Gabriel had a fight about who's gonna lead the main team tomorrow. I was looking for my Ma and when I came into the tent they were shouting, their faces bright red. Who knows for how long they yelled before I came. Anyway, my mom was looking pissed and she pulled out a gun." Dean's eyes widened. "Relax, it was a water gun and she just shot both of them and said, 'Neither of you is a leader. I am.' And they just stared at her like this," Jo opened her mouth in fake shock before laughing. Dean joined in; he could easily imagine that scene. When their laughter calmed down, Dean shot Jo a grateful smile. She took his mind off problems for a while.

Charlie got back with his food and Dean eagerly grabbed it. They chatted about lighter subjects while they ate. In one moment Dean heard a familiar laugh and he looked up. Cas was talking with Balthazar and they were laughing together. At some point Balthazar put his hand on Cas' upper arm and held it there which made Dean look away. He felt a pull in his chest and he swallowed hard. He wondered briefly if Cas would be spending a night in Balthazar's bed, but then he mentally slapped himself. Cas wasn't like that. It was Dean who read the situation wrong and he was now suffering for that. He shouldn't make Cas a villain in this story. Dean quickly finished his meal and excused himself as he walked to his tent.

The morning came quickly and Dean went outside for breakfast. Luckily, he didn't see Cas. Everyone was getting ready for the mission and Dean joined the group of people who were preparing the weapons. In the last few months he realized that cleaning guns calmed him down and relaxed him and he should have a clean head for the mission.

He picked one gun for himself, it was similar to the one John used, so he was familiar with it.

Too soon, it was time to go. They were separated into three teams and thankfully Dean wasn't with Cas, but he wasn't with anyone familiar either, except Jody who was his team's leader. His team was assigned to cover the exit on the left side of the building. The main team where his mom was would go through the main entrance and get Crowley. Few agents were responsible for transport. They would wait with a few vehicles and pick them up when they were done.

The warehouse was about three miles away from the camp and they walked there.

The building wasn't big, but it was right in the open and they could be spotted any time. They managed to find a hiding spot behind one wall. The surprise was their best friend so they had to be extra careful.

Night fell over them and Jody turned on a flashlight. They stood on their positions and waited for further instructions or someone coming their way. Jody was wired to Ellen so she got an update every now and then.

She listened carefully and informed them when the main team got into the building.

"Crowley is escaping. Ellen says to head toward the back exit. Let's go!"

They moved quickly to the other side of the building. Several people Dean didn't recognize where fighting and shooting on their people. His team quickly joined in the combat and they easily overcame Crowley's security. Most of them lay dead and some were unconscious and handcuffed.

Bobby held a short, bearded man with handcuffed hands behind his back- Dean supposed it was Crowley.

They headed toward the agreed meeting spot where the vehicles and other agents waited. In the dark, they walked carefully, only a few flashlights lighting their way. Dean noticed Charlie and Jo walking in front of him, but he didn't join them, opting to stay close to his team.

Gunshots blazed in their direction and everyone turned toward the source. About fifteen or twenty men stood a few feet away. Dean thought they were Crowley's secret security team or something like that, but someone yelled they were Roman's people. It was just their luck that Dick would find Crowley at the same time, they did.

Dean aimed and fired, shooting one guy, two, three before he lost count. More of them were coming no matter how many they already shot. They slowly started moving backwards still trying to defend themselves.

When they caught the sight of the vans, they ran there. Others were there and the fight became fairer. The sound of gunfire echoed around them and Dean wondered how long it would take for the police to get involved. They were pretty far from civilization, but still someone could easily hear them.

He saw his mom and got distracted for a moment. One guy came closer and trashed the gun out of Dean's hands. Dean jumped toward him and shoved him on the ground. They struggled for a while, but Dean got the upper hand and punched the guy hard in the face. When he looked up, he saw that most of Dick's people were on the ground and some of them were moving away. He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw a young woman from his team, Bela, if he remembered correctly. She was dragging him toward the van.

"Get in. Ellen said they got this."

Dean obeyed and they got into the van. He noticed that most of his team was there.

"Is everyone fine?"

Bela nodded. "I think so. At least our team is. The rest of them are driving in the other vans. We did a pretty good job." She smiled smugly.

"Yeah, we did kick some ass." Dean agreed and felt himself smile. He let himself believe that for once everything went smoothly. Though he felt worry for others, he pushed it down and hoped they would be okay.

The drive to the bunker was supposed to last at least seven hours, so Dean decided to sleep through it.

—

He was awoken with a slap on his face. "Winchester, wake up. We're here."

Dean opened his eyes and saw Bela getting out. The garage they were in wasn't much different from the previous one, only visibly smaller.

Not everyone arrived yet, but quite a big group gathered near the door. An old man, almost as grumpy as Bobby, stood in front of the door. Dean realized that he wasn't letting anyone pass. He turned to Bela and asked her what was going on.

"That's Frank Devereaux. He's the guard here or something. A paranoid bastard. He's not letting anyone in until Singer comes."

Dean looked around the room, trying to find Charlie or Jo. When he found them, he walked in their direction. They sat on the floor, leaning on the wall behind them.

"You look like shit," Jo said when she noticed him.

"Thanks. You guys okay?"

"Yeah, kinda. My muscles hurt. Everyone's hurt in some way. When they let us in, we're all gonna need patching up." Charlie said and smiled. "But. We caught Crowley. It was like in the movies, really exciting." Her smile turned into a frown. "Then, Dick attacked. That wasn't cool."

Dean let out a small laugh in agreement.

"I was really getting into fighting when my mom dragged me away," Jo said. "And then we left without Cas. Oh, sorry, I-"

Dean lifted a hand to stop her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna die if you mention him. Why did you leave without him anyway?"

"Some guy was roughing him up. I mean, Cas won for sure, but the guy was strong. He'll probably come with Bobby and Ellen," Charlie answered.

They sat in silence for a while. Dean was tired even though he slept in the van. He needed a comfortable bed. When he looked at Charlie and Jo, they looked as beat as he felt and most of the others in the garage.

Dean hoped there would be painkillers in the bunker, because his body hurt from the beating he got.

About half an hour later the last van pulled into the garage. Bobby got out first, followed by others before Rufus and Victor led handcuffed Crowley out. Dean waited for Cas to come out, but they shut the van's door. He looked over at the girls and they seemed as confused.

While Bobby dealt with Frank, Dean found Mary in the crowd. She looked at him with wet eyes when he got closer.

"Mom?"

"Oh, Dean. I'm really sorry." She pulled him in a hug. "Cas was taken."

Dean broke away quickly. "What?"

"Roman's people took him away. I'm sorry, I know you cared about him."

Dean's head span. "Is he dead?"

"Maybe. We don't know. We did everything we could."

Dean felt tears in his eyes and he looked away from his mother. His eyes fell on Charlie and Jo who were talking to Ellen. He watched as the horror flashed on their faces and tears rolled down. He averted his gaze and hugged Mary again as he sobbed quietly.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean felt sick. Cas was gone. Soon after his mother told him what happened, they were allowed to enter the bunker. After everyone got the medical attention they needed, they were put in rooms and thankfully Dean didn't get a roommate. He wasn't in the mood for people. Mary told him before he left for bed that in the morning, which was only a few hours away, Bobby wanted to talk to them.

The bed was comfortable, just like he wanted to, but the sleep didn't come. If only he didn't avoid Cas, maybe he could have helped him and Cas would be here, safe and not who knew where, possibly dead. Dean couldn't think about it without his stomach turning upside down.

The morning came not as quickly as he wished, but eventually a knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Dean, are you awake?" His mother's voice sounded tired and he felt a pang of worry for her.

"Yeah. Give me a minute," he said and got up.

Fifteen minutes later, they walked into a big room that looked very much like an operation room, but with fewer books. Everyone was already there, Ellen and Bobby stood in the middle of the room while the girls sat.

"I'm sorry we're late. Dean got lost on his way to the bathroom."

Dean cast a look in the direction of Charlie and Jo. He sat beside them and shared a sad look with them.

Bobby cleared his throat. "I know you're sad about Cas, I'm too. He's like a kid to me. But we can't afford to look for him."

Dean's hand collided with the table. "That's bullshit."

"Dean," Mary said in a firm tone.

"Look, son. I know you and him were close, but this is for the greater good. No one can leave this bunker. We can't risk being found, 'specially now when we got Crowley. Trust me, we all know it ain't easy losing someone you love."

_Someone you love. _And that was it. Dean loved Cas. All this time he tried not to think about it like that, but the truth was he loved Cas. Of course, he would admit it now, when Cas was gone.

"Why can't the French look for him? They aren't here."

"They left the country. Roman can't know we're allies with them and it'd be suspicious if they went snooping around. Cas is most likely alive. They probably recognized him and took him to Naomi." Bobby said.

"Who's Naomi?" He asked and he felt five pairs of eyes looking at him.

"His mother."

Dean's eyebrows furrowed. "Isn't she dead?"

"Of course, that's what he would've told you," said Ellen. "After what she did to them."

"Dean, Naomi is one of the scientists working for Dick. She sent Cas and Alfie to that hospital, knowing that they would die," Charlie explained when it looked like no one else would.

"Is she under the control?"

"She wasn't then, no. Naomi wasn't a good mother, she didn't care about her sons. Her job was all that mattered to her. She's most likely under control now, though. Roman probably insured himself after Crowley escaped," Ellen said. Dean wondered why Cas never told him any of that.

"We'll find him once Dick is down," Bobby promised, but it could be too late then. Dean feared now was also too late. But he kept quiet and nodded.

When Dean was left alone with Jo and Charlie, he immediately turned to them.

"I know what you're thinking. I have a plan. Kinda. Like 12% of the plan," Charlie said.

"Shoot."

"I can hack into their systems and try to find where they're keeping him. I'll try with Naomi first."

"What then?" Dean asked. There was not a lot they could do. He doubted he could sneak out and besides it wasn't like he could take on all of Dick's people alone. No. They would have to wait and hope Cas would still be alive.

"He'll be okay, Dean. He has survived a lot already."

"What if they torture him for information, huh? Or try to 'fix' his brain and do some fucking experiments on him?" Dean felt himself shaking and closed his eyes to calm down.

He was suddenly wrapped in a strong hug. When he opened his eyes, he saw both Charlie and Jo holding him.

"I'm sorry. He was your friend too and I'm making it worse," he told them when they broke apart.

"I swear to God, we'll find him. I already lost Ash, I'm not losing Cas too," Jo said with wild eyes and clenched fists.

Charlie rubbed her back and leaned toward her, pecking her lips gently. Dean looked away, not wanting to intrude on a private moment. He had an inkling that these two were dating, but he didn't want to snoop around, so he waited for them to tell him when they were ready. Dean was glad they had each other.

A few seconds after Jo cleared her throat. "So the cat's out the bag."

"Don't worry. I suspected for a while now."

They shared a smile and decided to go eat something.

After a few days, Dean found himself wandering off in the long hallways. The bunker was similar to the old one, but it looked less lived in and the placement of the rooms was different. He was walking in an empty hallway when he heard yelling from one of the rooms. He peeked inside and saw Bobby interrogating Crowley.

"People are going to start killing each other if we don't do something."

"I don't give a bloody hell. If I tell you anything Dick will cut my head off."

"You think we won't?"

"Please. You're only going to keep me locked up."

"What do you want for telling us?"

"I want to be the president."

Dean heard a woman's laughter and realized Ellen was in the room too. "Sorry, that ain't gonna happen."

"We're gonna walk out and leave you to starve."

"If I tell you, after you take Dick off, I walk a free man," Crowley said at last.

After a few agonizing moments, Bobby spoke, "Deal. Now speak."

Before Dean could hear about the cure, a cough from behind him interrupted him.

"Are you eavesdropping, Dean?" Mary asked.

"The door was open."

"Mhm. Come on. We need to talk." She led him away from the room. "I talked with Bobby and he's letting me leave. I'm going to Sam."

"What? When?"

"Tomorrow morning. I want you to go with me. I think two people leaving won't attract unwanted guests. We'll take one of the motorcycles and leave. We don't have any stuff, so it will be easier."

"Whoa, you can drive a motorcycle?" Dean asked wide eyed, his mouth hanging open. His mom was a badass.

"Of course I can. Don't ask stupid questions. Anyway, I know you miss Sam so I persuaded Bobby to let us go."

Dean stayed quiet for a few moments. He did miss Sam, terribly and he was worried about him, but he knew now that they got the cure, so they were close to crushing Dick and his plan. They were also closer to finding Cas. Charlie spent every moment she could spare looking for him and Dean didn't want to betray them by leaving now. "Mom, I can't."

Mary seemed to understand. "I know. I hoped maybe… but I understand why." Her eyes softened and she patted his head. "I know what it's like to love someone so much." She smiled sadly. "I hoped that when you first fall in love, it'd be happier."

"Me, too, Mom."

"Sam will understand too. Don't worry about it."

Dean nodded. "Can you tell Alfie that I'll bring Cas back to him. I don't want him to worry."

Mary agreed and left.

He was sure he made the right decision. There wasn't a lot that he could do for Cas, but not giving up was first on the list. And he sure as hell wasn't giving up.

—

Bobby gathered everyone to share the news of the cure that evening.

"Crowley told us what the cure is. 'Course, knowing he's a lying bastard, we'll have to test it first. Apparently there are certain sound signals which break the control and without taking the vaccine again controlling sounds don't work."

"We have to work fast. They know we have Crowley and they'll intensify their search." Ellen cut Bobby off. "While we test the cure, Charlie and Frank will try to find a way to hack into every TV or radio station and anything where most people would hear the signals."

It had turned out that Frank was a great hacker. Charlie had been impressed by his skills and couldn't stop talking about it for a couple of hours. Those two made a great team, a weird one, but efficient and they would easily find a way to spread those sound signals.

"How are you going to do that?" One of the agents asked.

Bobby spoke before Ellen could. "I volunteered as a guinea pig. We have a sample of the vaccine and I probably ain't immune so we'll try to cure me."

Mary's voice piped in. "That's dangerous. What if it doesn't work?"

"There are bigger chances that it will work. It's Crowley's best chance and we're certain he wouldn't blow it off." Bobby responded.

Dean thought it was a good idea. It wasn't like Bobby was going to kill them if it doesn't work- they were not going to let him listen to Dick's orders, only use the same sound signals. If it went badly, it would only mean that Bobby would be subjugated to Ellen's orders- all the time.

After discussing some more technical details everyone went their way.

Dean spent the rest of the evening with Mary. He didn't know when he would see her next so he had to use the time they had. They talked about the months Dean spent at the bunker and about Sam. Dean asked a few questions about Mary's past, but her face filled with regret and pain, so he changed the subject. He told her about Cas instead.

"You really love that boy. I wish I had met him more properly."

"You will," Dean said and believed in his words. He was going to find Cas.

The next morning Mary was gone. And Dean was still shocked that she could drive a motorcycle.

Over the next few days, everyone was busy. Bobby got the vaccine and he listened to sound signals most of the time. They weren't able to control him immediately because the vaccine worked slowly- Dean thought it was also because Bobby was aware of the vaccine's effect- but after a week and half Bobby did a chicken dance after Jo intervened in the experiment.

Meanwhile, Charlie and Frank worked day and night to hack their way into everything that could spread sound signals to most people. Dean knew Charlie also worked on locating Cas, but he understood why she had to slow down the search.

After Bobby yelled at Jo for making him embarrass himself, they decided to test Crowley's solution. They started to play those sounds to Bobby and at first he still obeyed some orders, but in a couple of days when Rufus told him to sing the national anthem, Bobby showed him the middle finger. Everyone cheered as it marked the end of Dick Roman's terror.

The next day everyone gathered around Frank and Charlie, who sat at their computers, making sure everything is ready for 'Breaking Gadreel' as they called it. Bobby wanted to hold a speech, but after Ellen hit his arm, he quieted.

"Okay, guys. This is it. When I press this key, the signal will be broadcast on most radio and TV stations."

"And alert sirens," Frank added.

Charlie nodded and grinned. "Ready?" She pressed the key.

"Now we have to wait and see," Frank said.

—

Two days after they broadcast the signals, Bobby permitted leaving, but mostly for supply runs. No one was leaving permanently because they were waiting for the perfect opportunity to supersede Dick.

They kept track of happenings in the country. A lot of people were slowly breaking through the control and their previous behavior confused them. Many protests were organized too by those who were suspecting a conspiracy of some kind, but most of them were quickly intercepted by Roman's people. Only, in return that made other people suspicious and the number of outbursts on the street grew daily. A week after they broadcast the signals, huge riots were on the streets in every bigger city.

Bobby and Ellen formed a plan to confront Dick. Frank found out that Dick left the White House and was hiding in one of his companies where he had his laboratories. There was no doubt he had people working on something that would reverse the effects of the cure.

Charlie, on the other hand, worked harder on locating Cas. She focused on Dick's company because she suspected Naomi would be there. Two and a half weeks after Cas was taken, there was still no trace of him.

While Charlie hastily typed on the computer, Dean and Jo sat beside her and waited. Suddenly, Charlie jumped from her chair with a shout.

"Oh my god, I did it." She pointed at the screen and Dean and Jo hurried to see it. On the screen there was a frozen video with Cas clearly on it. Two men, big and muscular held him from each side. Cas didn't look hurt, but he sure as hell wasn't good.

"This is footage from an ATM across Dick's building. It was boring to watch all that, but it was worth it. This was taken two days ago, so he's probably still there." Charlie was excited and it was understandable. This was the best lead they got on Cas.

"Hopefully he'll still be there in three days," Jo said.

Three days from that moment was the day Ellen and Bobby chose to fight Dick. They were keeping Dick and his location under surveillance, but it seemed he wasn't leaving the building of his company. Dean couldn't be more pleased because it meant that when they faced Dick, he could go and look for Cas and save him from the hell he was most definitely going through.

The battle, as Charlie called their upcoming attack on Dick, was approaching fast while they planned and went through every detail. Bobby said a great number of soldiers from France and UK would join them. Charlie found the plans of the building and they inspected every inch of it. They were positive Dick was going down.

But, when the time came, Dean felt a rush of fear. What if this went wrong? He ignored the doubt and focused on stopping Dick and putting this horrible mess behind him. And of course, finding Cas.

They boarded in the vans and set off. The drive was long, from New Mexico to Washington, DC, but they didn't encounter any obstacles. Still, it took them a day and once they were in the city, they were met with a big surprise.

Hundreds of people were on the streets, yelling and throwing stuff at Dick's people. The police were trying to interfere and stop the mess. Most of them looked like they wanted to join the protest, but as long as they worked for the country, they worked for Dick. Not for long though.

—

As it was impossible to go through the crowd in a vehicle, they ditched the vans and went on foot in a direction of Dick's building. Walking there wasn't easy, but they managed. It was a glass building, five stories high and wide. When they got closer Dick's men came out and attacked them.

Two guys surrounded Dean and he did his best to fight them, but they were bigger and stronger. He found himself lying on the ground while the other two loomed over him. In the moment when they were going to give him his last blow, they were pulled backwards by another man. Dean didn't recognize him, but it looked like he was on their side. After the man knocked the other guys out, he helped Dean to get up.

"You're welcome brother," he said after Dean stood up. "You mind telling me what the hell's going on."

Dean noticed that most of his people already entered the building. Only a few of them were still fighting. He looked the man over; he was strong and a good fighter. He seemed a few years older than Dean with fuzz on his face. "I'll explain everything if you come with me."

The man raised an eyebrow, but after a beat of silence, he extended his hand. "Name's Benny Lafitte."

Dean took his hand and shook it briefly. "Dean Winchester. Come on."

They made their way to the building. There was no one guarding the door and they walked in without a problem. Quietly Dean summarized the situation to Benny, who was left gaping. That expression was hilarious on him, he seemed like a pretty serious guy, but Dean didn't have time to laugh. He was going to find Cas.

"So, the president sounds like a real dick." Benny chuckled. "And he's here?"

"Yeah, but we'll let others take care of him. I have to find my, um, friend."

"Friend, huh?" Benny winked.

Dean sent him a sideway glance while they navigated the hallways. He memorized the plan of the building and had a vague idea where they could be keeping Cas. "Why were you here, anyway?" He asked Benny, who didn't have time to answer him because as they turned around the corner they ran into three guards.

When they noticed them, the guards were on them so fast that Dean's head was spinning. He managed to throw a few punches on one of the guys and when he was done with him, he went to help Benny, only to find him standing above two other men. The dude was good.

"I was in my office across this building when I heard the fighting." Benny continued their conversation like he didn't just beat the hell out of someone.

"Office? You don't seem the type." He couldn't imagine Benny sitting around all day in some office.

"I sure ain't. But last November I got this brilliant idea for a career. Now I'm beginning to think it wasn't my idea at all," Benny said.

They walked to the end of the hallway and opened the door that led to the laboratory. Before they could enter it, someone attacked them from behind. Quickly Benny grabbed the guy and held him as Dean punched him.

"I wanted to open my tattoo shop, but I'm good at this. Maybe I should think about doing it professionally." Benny grinned at Dean, who rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly.

As they entered the laboratory they were met with ten angry looking men, surrounding them. They exchanged glances and a nod and they leapt into the fight.


	8. Chapter 8

There was blood everywhere. Dean was sure he was bleeding from ten different spots. These guys were ruthless. They were throwing punch after punch without a sweat. He tried to keep up, but when one of them took out a knife, Dean was ready to give up. The men didn't have guns, thankfully and Dean had lost his in the earlier fight in front of the building. But, as he lay on the ground and waited for his death, he noticed a gun on the floor a few feet away. He didn't know whose it was and why it was there, but at the moment he didn't care. Dean pushed against three guys holding him and ran to the gun.

Turning around, he pointed the gun at the guy closest to him. When they guy didn't budge, Dean fired. He didn't mean to, but it was too late. The guy already fell to the ground, a pool of blood growing around him. Even though he killed before, this felt different. He actually saw this guy's face and this time no one was shooting at him- he was the shooter.

Others tried to approach him but he shot again and another fell down. As the rest of men surrounded him Benny got up from where he was lying and walked closer to Dean.

"You don't wanna do this, brother," he said carefully, like he was talking with a child. It only made Dean angrier.

Dean pointed a gun at one of the guys and walked closer to him. "Listen to me, you little dicks I'm going to shoot every one of you if you don't get out in five seconds."

Everyone rushed to the door, but when the guy Dean had his gun on tried to leave, Dean grabbed him, "Not you. You'll tell me where I can find Castiel Novak. 18 years old, dark hair, blue eyes, tall as me. Ring any bells?"

The guy nodded quickly. "I can show you where he is. Just please don't kill me."

"Only if you do your part. Now, tell me where to go."

The guy motioned at the door in the back of the room. "There's a hallway behind that door and at the end of it there's a room where they're keeping him."

Dean's hold on the guy didn't loosen as they moved toward the door. Benny walked in front of them and he opened it. It was dark inside and there was no switch to turn on the lights. Luckily, Dean remembered he had a small flashlight in his pocket. He let go of the guy to take it out when suddenly the guy was gone. He was fast and Dean growled when he realized what happened.

"I swear to God, if he lied, I'm gonna find him and shoot him in the face."

After turning on the flashlight, they could see a hallway, it wasn't long, but it had a lot of doors. Dean made his way to the last one. He pushed the doorknob and was pleased when it opened without a problem. In the dark room he noticed someone sitting on the bed across the door. When he lifted a flashlight, he was relieved to see a familiar face.

Cas was bruised and he looked like he hadn't slept for days. He was staring at the floor and his eyes looked empty. After giving his gun to Benny, Dean took a step closer and removed the light from Cas because he was constantly shielding his eyes. Dean guessed he wasn't used to the light.

"Cas?" He whispered.

"Mother?" Cas asked and the tone of his voice broke Dean's heart. It was small and broken like a child on the verge of tears.

Dean sat on the bed beside him and put a hand on Cas' shoulder. "No, Cas. It's me, Dean." He didn't expect Cas to start kicking him. The sudden movement startled him and he found himself on the floor.

"Get away from me. You're evil," Cas said as he backed further into the room.

Benny, who had been standing by the door slowly entered the room. He helped Dean to get up from where he was sitting on the floor. Dean nodded gratefully, before he made his way to Cas.

Cas plastered himself against the wall and he looked scared, his eyes wet and as he wrapped his arms around himself. "Please, don't hurt me."

Dean felt his eyes water. What did they do to him that he thought Dean would hurt him. "Hey, Cas. Calm down. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm your friend, remember?" Cas shook his head and tried to step even further as Dean walked closer. "I'm not a bad guy here, okay. Try to remember. We shared many good, fun moments. With Jo and Charlie. Do you remember them? One of my favorite days was when we spent that whole weekend watching movies instead of training and Ellen yelled at us. Remember that? You know, we were all looking for you and we worried. We are your family. We care about you." Even though Cas still looked scared, Dean thought he saw a spark of recognition in his eyes. "You'll be safe now. We'll take you to Alfie. You want to see him, don't you? Your little brother."

Cas eyes widened as he looked at Dean. "Alfie?" He whispered.

Dean nodded. "Yes. I'm sure he misses you. We all did. Especially me. I know you don't remember, but we shared something special." Dean was now standing right in front of Cas and he gently lifted his hand and put it on Cas' shoulder. Cas flinched, but didn't try to remove the hand. "Please, Cas. I need you to remember. We're here to help you. I-I love you." The last words were whispered, but Dean had to say them. He hoped knowing he was loved would pull Cas out of whatever world he was stuck in inside his head.

"Dean?" Cas shaky voice made him look up in his eyes. Oh, how he missed those eyes.

"Yeah, it's me. Everything will be okay. I promise."

Cas threw his arms around him and held him tightly, whispering broken '_I'm sorry_'s repeatedly.

"Shh. Come on. Let's get you out of here." He grabbed Cas around the waist to help him walk and Benny held the flashlight as they walked back.

In the lab, they heard yelling in the distance and gunshots. Cas winced in Dean's arms and Dean gave him a gentle squeeze. As they were halfway to the lab exit, a female voice stopped them.

"Where do you think you're going?"

They turned around and saw a woman pointing a gun at them. When Cas saw her, he started shaking so hard he almost slipped from Dean's hold. "No, please."

Dean clenched his jaw. "You're Naomi." He was so angry and the only thing stopping him from jumping on her was Cas.

"And you're kidnapping my son."

"He wants to come with us," Dean said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Benny holding a gun at Naomi.

"Oh, really? Castiel, do you want to go with these gentlemen?" She smirked as she was sure of the answer.

Dean saw fear in Cas' eyes and worried that he would take Naomi's side. Maybe she was able to control him somehow. Cas shook his head and Dean saw a change in his features. He looked determined and fierce, more like the Cas he knew.

"I'm leaving with them. I'm not going to let you control me anymore, mother. You can't scare me."

Naomi's smirk fell and she stepped closer, but before she did anything, Benny stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ma'am," he said, "Put that gun away."

She pressed her lips tightly, but lowered the gun on the floor. When Benny relaxed and removed his own gun, in a swift movement Naomi was on him, tackling him down and making his gun slide away.

Dean let go of Cas who leaned against a desk and grabbed Naomi who was punching Benny. He pulled her back and punched her as hard as he could. As she fell on the ground, Dean gave her one more punch and she was out. Even though he wanted to hurt her more for what she did to Cas, he resisted for Cas' sake.

He walked back to Cas. For a second, Dean was afraid Cas would reject him, after all he did just punch his mother, but Cas only gave him a nod and wrapped his arm around Dean's shoulder. No one said anything while they walked slowly to the exit of the building and no one attacked them.

Outside the building, Bobby had handcuffed Dick in his hold and he was talking with a police officer and a few soldiers. It looked like he missed the main fight, but he found Cas and that was all he cared about. Dean only hoped this meant everything was over.

Beneath a tree a few feet away sat Charlie and Jo, concealed from the sun in shades. They were bruised with blood on their clothes, but there was a content look on their faces and their hands interwoven between them.

They walked toward them and Charlie noticed them first. A huge smile broke on her face and she jumped, pulling Cas into an embrace. Dean felt Cas stiffen, but after a moment, he let go of Dean and hugged Charlie back. Meanwhile, Jo caught up with what was happening and she was on Cas the second Charlie let go.

"Shit, it's good to have you back," she said into Cas' neck.

When she and Charlie started questioning Cas, Dean cut them off. There would be time for that later.

Bobby must have noticed them, because he and Ellen were rushing toward them with a couple of medics in tow. As they gathered around Cas, Dean noticed he started shaking again and told them to back off.

"He needs space," he told them and wrapped his hand around Cas' biceps. "Cas, we're gonna take you to the hospital where you can rest. Nobody is gonna hurt you anymore."

Cas locked his eyes with Dean and nodded. All of them walked slowly toward the ambulance parked not so far. Dean insisted on driving with Cas and no one even tried to stop him. Before the door closed, Dean sent a small salute in Benny's direction and the other man returned it. Dean didn't know if he was going to see him again, but he hoped Benny knew he was grateful for the help. During the drive to the hospital Cas dozed off and Dean watched over him.

When they arrived to the hospital Cas was taken by the doctors and Dean wasn't allowed to go with him. Another doctor looked at him and decided he needed stitches. A few minutes later, Dean was patched up and given painkillers. He was pretty roughed up that day and he felt it in every inch of his body, but the satisfaction of finding Cas and the worry for him, made him forget.

Dean sat in a waiting room when others showed up. He quickly told them what happened, about finding Cas and his condition, about Naomi, everything.

"They found her unconscious and she was arrested," Bobby told him. "You did a good job, kid. The doctors are probably gonna perform some tests to see what they did to the poor boy, but in a few days he'll probably be good to go."

Dean nodded. "When will I be able to see him?"

"I'll talk to the doctors." Bobby went to find a doctor responsible for Cas.

Jo and Charlie sat beside him as Ellen told him their side of the story. Apparently, Dick had a lot of people in security and they almost didn't get to him, but the army got involved. French military had informed US army about their mission. Of course, no one believed it, but after showing them proof about the vaccine and project Gadreel, people were sent immediately to the location. They got Dick and put him in custody along with everyone who willingly worked for him. Ellen would hold a press conference tomorrow and tell everything to the public.

"It's going to be a mess. We have to select the new president ASAP. Most of politicians were working for Dick and it's gonna be hard to select a new leader among the rest of them," she said.

Meanwhile, Bobby came back. "The doctor said it'd be best if you came tomorrow afternoon after Cas got some rest." Dean nodded and Bobby continued, "We got rooms in a hotel. You need rest too."

Dean was delighted to hear that. He could definitely use a shower and a comfortable bed.

—

Next morning, Dean woke early. Too early, in his opinion, but Jo insisted they should watch Ellen's press conference as they were a big part of the discussed topics. That was how Dean found himself in Jo and Charlie's room, sitting on their bed and watching Ellen on a small hotel TV.

He was exhausted as he barely slept- Cas' scared eyes haunting him and images of dead men in pools of blood flashing in his mind. Guilt was beginning to catch up with him and as much as he tried to shrug it off, telling himself that everything he did was justified, that he was defending himself, deep inside he knew he could have acted differently. He didn't have to kill those men, but back then he didn't care at all.

On the screen, Ellen was explaining everything about MSO and their actions. She mentioned his father as a founder of the organization and as one of many who died for the cause. When she proceeded to tell the story of her own death, Dean suddenly remembered that Ellen and Jo were supposedly dead. That had completely slipped his mind.

After some questions from a few people, it was a time to mention the future. Ellen said that Roman was going to prison as well as dozens of other politicians who worked for him. The new, temporary president would be known by the end of the day after specials elections were held among remaining politicians. One of the reporters, Dean thought her name was Anna Milton, asked Ellen whether she considered herself for the position, but Ellen told her it wasn't her decision, but that she would do a good damn job if she were chosen. Even though she earned a few snickers, Dean could tell she wasn't joking and now when he thought about it Ellen would be perfect for the job.

When he voiced his opinion, Jo spoke proudly, "Damn right, she would. I wish they choose her, at least temporarily."

Charlie agreed. "It'd be cool if my girlfriend was living in the White House."

A knock on the door interrupted them and Dean got up to open the door after Charlie gave him a pleading look and Jo added, "Be a gentleman."

He was met with a huge grin belonging to his little brother. Before Dean could react in any way, Sam's arms were around him and he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Behind Sam stood Mary, a smile gracing her face too. Hugging his brother back, he couldn't help but smile back.

"Damn, Sammy. I missed you," he said when they pulled apart.

"Missed you too," Sam answered and after a few moments he added, "I'm proud of you."

Dean grinned and turned to his mother and hugged her too.

"When did you two get here? No, wait a minute." He returned into the room and informed the girls that he was going to take Mary and Sam into his room.

In Dean's room, Mary and Sam sat on the bed while he stood. He was too excited to sit.

"We got here this morning with some agents Bobby invited. We heard what happened." Mary regarded him. "Are you okay?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I did get beat up a lot, but you should see the other guys. And a woman. I hit Cas' mother," Dean said. "I found him, Mom. He was really bad. So scared. He didn't recognize me." He let out a shaky breath.

"I know. We were at the hospital. Doctors said he had many different drugs and chemicals in his system."

"You were at the hospital?"

"Alfie was with us. We took him to see Cas," Mary said. "Those poor boys have been through too much."

Sam looked at Dean with sad eyes. "Alfie was crushed when he found out that Cas was taken. I told him you would get him back, but he didn't believe it. Yesterday when we found out you found Cas, he was the happiest I've ever seen him. He wanted to leave immediately."

Dean smiled a little. Cas was going to be happy to see Alfie too. "And they allowed him to see Cas?"

Mary spoke, "Yes. He's family so he was allowed, but the doctor said any other visitors have to wait 'till-"

"This afternoon. Yeah, I know." Dean sighed. He wished he could see Cas now, but at least Cas was safe.

"Sam and I have another room, so if you want to rest…"

"Oh, no. I wanna spend some time with you. I haven't hung out with Sam for ages."

Sam looked excited about it as he nodded eagerly. "I'm going to change my clothes and we can go out to eat something."

Mary gave Sam a key of their room and Sam jumped off the bed. Dean was glad to see him excited and happy, it had been a long time since Sam acted like that.

When he left the room, Dean sat beside Mary. "I know this is a big thing, but I have to ask you something."

—

After breakfast, Dean and Sam decided they should go see a movie. It was a long time since any of them had been in a public place such as that and they missed it. Dean had time to kill anyway and he wasn't in the mood to deal with anything serious for the time being. Mary seemed worried about them going among too many people, but in the end she gave in.

Most of the people around them talked about Dick and politics, but they ignored them as they bought tickets for the first movie that was being shown. The cinema was mostly empty, no one was probably too interested in watching movies after they found out their president tried to fuck with their mind.

The movie they chose was probably the worst movie Dean ever saw, but as he looked at his brother and mother beside him, he couldn't care less. After it was over, they walked back to the hotel. Dean wanted to have a quick shower before he made the trip to the hospital.

"You want to look nice for your boyfriend," Sam said and Dean blushed.

"Shut up, bitch." Dean playfully shoved Sam. "It's summer, it's hot and I'm sweating."

"Whatever you say, jerk." Sam smiled.

Mary watched them fondly and even though usually she wouldn't allow that language between them, she let them do their banter now.

Back in his room, Dean found new clothes on his bed and a note that said it was from Bobby. He was grateful for it and he put it on after his shower.

Before he left for the hospital, he stopped by Charlie and Jo's room. Charlie opened the door with a huge grin and pulled him in the room. Jo talked on the phone with an equally big smile.

"Okay. I'll see you later. Love ya," she said and hanged up. "Guess who's the new leader of the country."

Dean eyes widened, "Holy shit. Are you saying-"

"Yes. My mom is the president," she shouted and did a small dance. "They chose her on the elections. It won't last long, just until real elections can be organized."

Charlie and Dean laughed and shared a high five.

"I can't believe things are getting better and better. I'm just waiting for something horrible to happen," Charlie admitted.

"Don't think about it," Dean told her. "But, I know how you feel."

"You going to see Cas?" Jo asked and Dean nodded. "Say hello to him and tell him that we'll come tomorrow."

"Sure. Alfie is there with him now," he said.

They were happy to hear that and looked forward to seeing Alfie too. When he told them goodbye, Dean called a taxi. His mother gave him some money earlier and he didn't want to bother anyone to drive him.

In the hospital, he went to the third floor where Cas was and asked the number of his room at the reception. He found the room and slowly walked in. Cas was lying on the bed, facing the wall opposite the door. Dean wasn't sure if Cas was awake so he whispered his name.

Cas quickly turned his head and his eyes widened. "Dean. You're here."

"Of course I'm here," Dean said as he sat on the chair beside Cas' bed. "Where's Alfie?"

"Pamela came to pick him up. He was tired and I didn't want him to sleep in an uncomfortable chair."

Dean nodded. "How are you Cas?"

"I'm- I'll be fine. I was under the influence of a lot of drugs and a lot of horrible things happened, some of them only in my head, but… I-I'll be fine," Cas babbled and let out a huge breath. "I'm sorry, Dean. For thinking you're going to hurt me." Dean shook his head, ready to tell him it wasn't his fault, but Cas didn't stop talking, "And I'm sorry for hurting you before."

Dean froze and looked away, "It's okay, Cas. That was my fault. I thought that, um, what we did meant something more, but I'm totally okay with being just friends and we can forget about that if you want."

"Do you want to forget about it," Cas whispered.

Dean looked him in the eyes and decided to stick with the truth. "No. That night I was the happiest I had been in a long time. I don't want to forget about it, or the way you felt against me or the softness of your lips, or um… What I want to say is- I-I love you." Apparently it was Dean's turn for babbling, but the words were just pouring out of his mouth and he wanted Cas to know everything, even if he didn't feel the same. Only when he finished Dean dared to look up.

Cas was watching him and a small smile played on his lips, "I'm sorry I said it didn't mean anything. I was scared you were just being nice to me and I pushed you away. When in reality it meant everything. I love you too, very much. I've never felt that way before and I was afraid."

Dean's mouth hurt, but he couldn't stop smiling. "Are you for real?"

Cas laughed and nodded. "Yes, Dean. I'm for real." He grabbed Dean's hand and pulled him closer. "Can I kiss you?"

"Hell yeah," he said and he closed the distance between them.

A nurse interrupted them to tell them kissing wasn't allowed. After sharing another quick kiss, they pulled apart and talked. Dean told him everything he missed, focusing on happier things, like Bobby as a guinea pig, Frank's paranoia, the terrible movie he saw that day. When he told him that Ellen was a president, Cas looked incredibly smug.

"She owes me fifty dollars. I told her once she was going to be a president one day, and we bet fifty dollars."

Dean laughed. "Oh, god. Everyone has another reason why they're happy for her. Like, Charlie's happy because it means her girlfriend would live in the White House."

Cas frowned. "What? Are she and Jo dating?"

"Yeah, didn't you know?"

Cas shook his head. "Now I feel stupid for being jealous of you and Jo."

Dean chuckled. "Man, no. Trust me. They are grossly in love."

"Hmm." Cas looked lost in thought. "That explains things."

"Like what?"

"Back in the bunker, I was passing by the bathroom and I heard grunting and moaning, so I knocked to see if everything is okay. Jo and Charlie both answered that everything is fine and when I questioned why both of them were inside, Jo said they were practicing fighting in tight spaces."

A loud laugh erupted from Dean and he doubled over. "Oh my God, Cas. I can't believe you bought that."

Cas laughed too, and shrugged.

"Hey, there's something else I have to tell you. I talked with my mom and she said it was okay, but you don't have to if you don't like the idea. I'm just offering," Dean said, feeling nervous, but Cas put a hand over his, ushering him to say it. "Maybe, you and Alfie could come and live with us?"

Cas looked surprised, but after a while he nodded. "If it's not going to be a bother."

"'Course not. I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it."

A few minutes later, the nurse came to remind Dean visiting hours were over. Dean kissed Cas and promised him he would come tomorrow with Jo and Charlie.

When he left the hospital, Dean was elated. Cas was fine, Cas loved him, Cas was going to live with him. The fluttering in his stomach weren't leaving him and the smile on his face didn't waver once on his way back to the hotel.


	9. Chapter 9

A couple of days later, Dean returned to Lebanon with his mom and Sam. They prepared the rooms for Cas and Alfie and Dean drove back to DC in his Impala.

Two days after he returned, Cas was released from the hospital. Dean and Alfie picked him up. The boys didn't have a lot of stuff, most of it was still in the bunker, but what they had was packed in the trunk of the Impala.

"I love your car, Dean," Cas said when they got to the car. Alfie nodded in agreement.

"It's pretty awesome if I say so."

When they were in the car, driving to Lebanon, Cas spoke again, "Did you talk with Charlie?"

"Yeah, her parents went crazy when they saw her. They kept apologizing and all. She told them about Jo and they couldn't believe she scored the president's daughter. They want to meet Jo and were really happy."

"I'm glad. Charlie deserves good things."

"Yeah. I think they decided to go to the same college, she and Jo. Can't be separated, I guess." He glanced at Cas.

While they were living in the bunker they didn't have a real, official school, but they would be allowed to take a test for everything they missed, so they could start the college in the fall like usual. It made Dean glad for the time they spent studying in the bunker.

"I still think it's hilarious that Ellen hired Bobby as her bodyguard."

Cas huffed a laugh, but cut it off quickly and glanced at Alfie, who was asleep in the backseat. "They make a good team. I believe they'll take care of the mess Dick left behind."

Dean agreed. "I'm glad there'll be a funeral. So many of them lost their lives and we had to leave them behind."

All people who lost their lives while fighting against Dick, including Ash would get a proper burial and service. Most of their bodies were found in Dick's private morgues, hidden from the world. Every MSO agent would be there to pay their last respects. "Burying our friend, we'll bury all our past struggles and start a new life." Charlie had said when they found out about it.

She was right, Dean thought. New lives were in front of them. They didn't have it easy for the last few months, but Dean was glad he met his new friends. He saved Jo and Charlie's numbers and emails, so they would stay in touch.

Dean also had Benny's number. While he was in DC he asked Bobby to find Benny. They went out for a coffee. Dean thanked him for saving him, because if he was honest, if it weren't for Benny, he would probably be dead.

Benny returned to his old dream and opened a tattoo shop. They maybe also spent most of the time talking about Cas and Benny's girlfriend Andrea, but nobody had to know that.

They stopped in front of the house and Sam and Mary got out to greet them. Cas slowly shook Alfie awake and they entered their new home for the first time.

They were all trying hard to learn sign language as best as they could, so Alfie wouldn't feel left out. Over the last few days, Dean started to think about him as another brother and he hoped Alfie would like living with them.

The boys quickly settled in Winchester's house. Alfie and Sam were already familiar with each other and Sam led him around the house to show him around.

Bobby gave Dean a key for the bunker and one day he and Cas would go there to pick their stuff, but for a while they didn't talk about it, enjoying the freedom. That place would surely bring back memories and Dean didn't want Cas to be reminded of the trauma he had endured. He knew Cas was strong, but he worried about him.

A few hours later, Mary called them for dinner. She asked Alfie and Cas how they liked the house and both of them beamed.

"You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Winchester. I'm really grateful you let us live here. It means a lot to both of us."

"Cas. First of all, if you're going to live here, you call me Mary. And secondly, of course we wanted you here. You boys saw a lot and your lives have been hard, but you're our family now. I'm happy to have you here. Alfie and Sam became great friends during bad times and it'd be terrible if they had to separate. And not to mention you and Dean. You fit perfectly and I'm glad you found each other." Mary said, leaving everyone at the table with wet eyes. While she was talking, Sam had been singing to Alfie. After a few seconds of silence, Alfie got up and hugged Mary, who seemed surprised, but quickly returned the hug. Cas' eyes were teary and he hid his face in Dean's neck.

Dean rubbed Cas' back and pressed a kiss on top of his head. Before Cas pulled away, Dean mouthed 'thank you' to Mary.

After dinner, Dean decided to take Cas out. When they were entering the car, Dean heard someone call him. Garth jogged toward them.

"Dean, it's good to see you," Garth said and pulled Dean into a hug.

Dean patted his back and Garth let go. "You too. This is Cas."

"Nice to meet you. Have you heard about Roman?" He asked them.

"Yeah. We were there, actually."

"Whoa, that's awesome. We have to catch up later. I'm in a hurry now."

Before he left Dean asked, "Hey, do you still wanna be a dentist?"

"Yeah, of course." Garth grinned and waved before he left, leaving Cas and Dean staring.

"I really thought the dentist thing was Dick related," Dean said and shrugged. "Whatever, let's go."

He drove them to a little hill where they had an excellent view of the whole town. Lebanon was a small place, so there weren't any riots and messes on the streets, but the bigger cities weren't completely cleaned yet nor were people calm and satisfied.

They sat on the hood of the Impala and stared at the town in front of them.

"I'm glad you're here," Dean said. He had his arm around Cas and he nuzzled his neck.

"Me too, Dean. I love you." Cas smiled as they locked their eyes.

"I love you too."

They shared a passionate, sweet kiss. Above them the sun started to disappear and night took over the sky.

It was unknown what the future held for them, but as they sat there, wrapped around each other, they could only hope for a better tomorrow.

~the end


End file.
